China to push for big data development, says MIIT official

China will launch multifaceted efforts to support the development of big data technologies, as part of the country’s broader push to develop a digital economy, a top official at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said on Monday.

The efforts will be focused on four areas in the development of big data – innovation, integration, market-building and security – Chen Zhaoxiong, vice minister of the MIIT, told a panel at the first Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, capital of East China’s Fujian Province.

“We will support innovation in advanced technologies and acceleration of research and development of products,” Chen was quoted as saying in a statement on the MIIT’s website. “We will also push for integrated development for big data development [and] foster new models for big data-drive growth.”

Chen said on Monday that China will foster “a batch of star companies and talent” in big data, while encouraging small and medium companies to dig for “niche markets.” But the vice minister did not disclose specific measures to support these companies.

Big data, which is believed to have widespread applications in business and government, is among other key technologies such as artificial intelligence and autonomous driving that have been set as top priorities.

At the Digital China Summit, officials from various government agencies including the MIIT and the National Development and Reform Commission vowed to provide policy support for the development of the digital economy.

In 2017, the value of China’s digital economy reached 27.2 trillion yuan ($4.32 trillion), up 20.3 percent year-on-year, according to Chen.

And the digital economy accounted for 32.9 percent of China’s GDP in 2017, he noted.