This photo taken on March 20, 2023 shows the servers at Tianjin Artificial Intelligence Computing Center in north China's Tianjin. The Tianjin Artificial Intelligence Computing Center was inaugurated in Tianjin recently. The first batch of 100 petaflops of computing power has been fully loaded and put into operation, and an additional 200 petaflops will be added in the future, providing inclusive public computing services for artificial intelligence (AI) application enterprises, universities and scientific research institutions. Photo: Xinhua

China pledges to build a national integrated computing power network, in an effort to optimize the distribution of computing power and provide better services for the development of the digital economy, the head of National Data Bureau (NDB) said on Monday.

Liu Liehong, head of the NDB, said on Monday that the computing power network highlights the advantages of interconnectedness, inclusiveness, ease, green development and safety, at the China Development Forum 2024 held in Beijing.

Data elements play an increasingly prominent role in promoting China's digital development. "We welcome both domestic and foreign enterprises to actively participate in the construction of the Chinese data element market and share the dividends of our development," Liu said, adding that the vigorous development of the digital economy cannot be separated from the role of data as a key production factor.

Data, computing power and algorithms are the "three pillars" of developing artificial intelligence (AI) technology. "The rapid development of generative AI since last year has posed higher and more urgent demand on computing power, highlighting the increasing necessity of building a national integrated computing power system," Liu explained.

Liu vowed to explore the theory, mechanisms, methods and pathways for unlocking the value of data elements; share opportunities; co-create the future, and allow the benefits of the digital dividend to reach thousands of industries and people in various countries, amid China's intensified efforts to promote digital development and accelerate the building of basic systems for data.

The digital economy in China is thriving. "China has hastened its pace in the construction of a digital China, where support for digital infrastructure is becoming stronger, the vitality of data elements is more vibrant, the digital transformation of industries is deepening, new business formats in the services industry are more active, and public services are more inclusive," Liu said.

"As of the end of 2023, China had built 3.377 million 5G base stations, an increase of 46.1 percent year-on-year. The comprehensive level of computing power infrastructure ranks second in the world, with a total computing power exceeding 230 EFLOPS," Liu said.

Detailing China's achievements in the establishment of digital infrastructure, Liu pointed out that the nation should fully tap the value of data elements, develop new quality productive forces, and provide strong impetus for global economic growth. 

The bureau will focus on optimizing the market allocation of data elements, as well as fostering new industries, new models, and new dynamics, and cultivating and developing new quality productive forces, Liu said.

In this regard, Liu said that the bureau is collaborating with relevant departments to explore the implementation of a "Data Element X" initiative, focusing on unleashing the multiplier effects of data across a range of scenarios and facilitating the transformation of China's advantage in basic data resources into new economic strengths.

More efforts are needed to iterate and improve policies related to cross-border data flows, strengthen cooperation in the field of data with multiple bilateral partners, and actively participate in the formulation of global rules, Liu added.

In March 2023, China announced plans to establish a national data bureau, to be administered by the National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic planner. 

It was inaugurated in October last year to bear responsibility for advancing the development of data-related fundamental institutions and pushing forward the planning and building of a digital China, the digital economy and a digital society, the Xinhua News Agency reported.