The United Nations (UN) World Data Forum (WDF) that concluded on Thursday in Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, called for better data governance and more cooperation between governments to help create a sustainable future.

"Today, in the twenty-first century, data represents what oil represented in the twentieth century – a driver of development and progress," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "Data – when used responsibly – is the bedrock of a sustainable future."

China shared its experience with data governance at the forum and promised to contribute more to global data governance by organizing more international trainings and promoting the development of the UN Global Platform for Big Data China Hub.

In his congratulatory message to the forum, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the country is willing to work with other countries to help implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through data governance.

China is also willing to deepen international data cooperation within the framework of the Global Development Initiative, Xi said.

Digital transformation that works

The Chinese government has been working on digital transformation and helping enterprises to do the same with big data.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of China has been carrying out censuses about the country's population, agriculture and economy, among other fields. The collected data enables the bureau to pinpoint the key social problems, analyze the economy and provide key facts for policymaking.

Data technology has also provided great convenience for China's logistics industry, enabling the enterprises to predict future workloads, and allocate personnel and equipment even before the orders arrive. As a result, the logistics chain is optimized to transport more goods with the same resources.

China is not only putting resources on data technology domestically, but also providing technical support for other countries, according to Shaida Badiee, managing director and co-founder of Open Data Watch, a U.S.-based non-profit of data experts.

Cooperate for a greener future

A greener future for the world will not be achieved with only one country's effort, and China's strategy on big data requires solid cooperation with the rest of the world.

China has been a strong partner of the UN Statistics Division, helping the division implement data projects and training sessions, according to Francesca Perucci, assistant director of the division.

Kang Yi, head of NBS, said China is serious on the opening up of statistics and will share advanced data technology with other developing countries.

China will hold more international training sessions through investment trusts and get deeply involved in the research and development of the UN Global Platform for Big Data, so as to make China's contribution to global data governance more prominent, he added.