China's digital development brings certainty and stability to the world

Editor's note: The article was jointly written by Gai Keke, professor at the School of Cyberspace and Science and Technology at Beijing Institute of Technology and Yu Jing, associate professor at the School of Information Engineering at Minzu University of China. The article reflects the authors' opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

In recent years, the development of China's digital economy has demonstrated vigorous vitality and great potential, providing a key and deterministic driving force for the digitalization of the global economy. By proposing initiatives such as the "Digital Silk Road," China has promoted cooperation among countries in cutting-edge fields, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced network infrastructure. China advocates and practices the principle of achieving shared growth through consultation and collaboration. This has been welcomed by many countries around the world.

China has provided a foundation for broad global cooperation in the field of advanced network infrastructure. For example, 5G technology is deemed a great effort made by China in digital infrastructure, either domestically or internationally, which is also one of the largest infrastructure construction projects for digital economy in the world. Official statistics show that the scale of China's digital economy reached 53.9 trillion yuan (about $7.5 trillion) in 2023, accounting for 42.8 percent of the country's GDP. No doubt that the achievements in network infrastructure construction have not only provided favorable conditions for the transformation of Chinese enterprises but also provided a "fast track" for global enterprises to enter the Chinese market.

If we look at AI, a field that is receiving widespread attention, we see that China's large AI models had accounted for 36 percent of the world's total as of the first quarter of 2024, second only to the United States, which accounted for 44 percent. The number of large AI models with a scale of more than one billion parameters has exceeded 100 in China. It implies that China is providing global users with more choices in the exploration of cutting-edge technologies, making advanced achievements beneficial to the public more balanced and reachable.

While allowing more users to enjoy the convenience brought by the advanced technology, China's key technological breakthroughs in AI also indicate more possibilities in the future. It was reported that China now ranks first in the world in terms of the number of inventions in Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC). The breakthroughs also reflect the Chinese government's emphasis on technological innovation, which is one of China's many contributions to the world's scientific and technological progress. The numerous technological innovations have not only offered guarantees for a safe transformation and upgrading of China's digital economy, but also contributed to more development and cooperation opportunities for the growth of the global digital economy.

Meanwhile, China is also an advocate of global cross-border data flow cooperation. From a global perspective, cross-border data flow plays a positive role in promoting multiple fields in various countries, such as e-commerce, digital trades, culture, and science and technology. Activating data values is one of the key elements for reducing trade costs and enhancing business vitality, which is fundamental for achieving data flow-driven globalization and collaboration. In recent years, China has made great efforts to promote cooperation in global cross-border data flow. As mentioned in the "Global Cross-border Data Flow Cooperation Initiative," for example, "Governments should work together to create a data flow and usage environment that is open, inclusive, secure, and non-discriminatory, jointly uphold a fair and just market order, and promote the orderly and healthy development of the digital economy". Thus, we can clearly see that China's efforts in this area have provided a higher level certainty and stability for the global digital economy.

In addition, China is actively promoting the establishment and improvement of a digital governance system, and has demonstrated a positive attitude of openness and sharing in international cooperation. These attempts are crucial to strengthening network/data security, which is also considered foundational for ensuring a healthy development of the digital economy. Likewise, the ongoing improvement of the digital governance system is beneficial for the certainty and stability of the digital economy in China and other countries around the world.

In summary, as a responsible major power, China has always called on all countries to uphold the principles of openness, inclusiveness, security, cooperation and non-discrimination in terms of scientific and technological development, and is committed to balancing digital technology innovation, digital economic development, digital social progress and the protection of national security, public interests, personal privacy, and intellectual property. As the 21st century progresses, the development of China's digital technology will play an increasingly positive and influential role in the stability and certainty of global economic development.

(Cover via CFP)