Building a Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau "Data Special Zone" Guangdong Releases China's First Provincial-Level Top-Level Design for Digital Society

Securities Times Reporter Wu Shaolong

Recently, the General Office of the Guangdong Provincial People’s Government issued the “Implementation Opinions on Accelerating the High-Quality Development of Digital Society in Guangdong” (hereinafter referred to as “Opinions”). The “Opinions” propose 18 specific measures across five areas, aiming to build a new paradigm for digital society development that is characteristic of Guangdong, inclusive, intelligent, and convenient.

This document is the first top-level design at the provincial level in China regarding digital society construction. Based on Guangdong’s advantages in digital economy and digital government development, it focuses on key challenges in digital society building, proposing a series of innovative initiatives to promote deep integration of digital technology and social development. It aims to create a new Guangdong-style digital society paradigm with Lingnan characteristics, providing a replicable and promotable “Guangdong experience” for high-quality digital society development nationwide.

The “Opinions” establish a two-step development path: by 2027, the digital infrastructure of society will be more solid, digital rules more sound, and the application of new-generation intelligent terminals and intelligent agents in social services, daily life, and governance will significantly increase, fully releasing consumption potential. By 2030, intelligent digital technology will be closely integrated with social development, forming a new Guangdong digital society paradigm that is inclusive, wise, convenient, rich in Lingnan特色, deeply rooted in Chinese culture, and leading the trend of the times.

Centered on enhancing people’s sense of gain and happiness in digital development, the “Opinions” focus on key areas and critical links of digital society construction, proposing five tasks: innovating application scenarios to build new operational methods for digital society; connecting organizational units to shape new structural forms; strengthening the foundation of digital intelligence to create new driving forces; improving digital literacy to stimulate new vitality; and optimizing the digital environment to foster a new ecosystem for digital society.

Specifically, the “Opinions” propose shaping new structural forms of digital society, with a highlight on building an open and innovative digital Bay Area. Guangdong will accelerate the integration of the digital Bay Area, establish a “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Data Special Zone,” and promote efficient, convenient, and secure cross-border data flow. It will strengthen digital infrastructure connectivity, jointly build a smart city cluster in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, promote digital economic cooperation, and develop key digital industry clusters. It will also enhance digital cooperation in fields such as elderly care, healthcare, transportation, and ecological environment, advancing data resource integration and application scenario innovation.

To strengthen the foundation of digital intelligence and create new momentum for digital society development, the “Opinions” propose ahead-of-time deployment of advanced information networks, accelerating the pilot deployment of 10-gigabit optical networks and 5G-A, speeding up 6G technology R&D, and planning for 6G application ecosystems. It aims to build a high-quality intelligent computing power supply system, orderly promote the construction of computing centers, and improve the capacity and efficiency of intelligent computing resources. Additionally, it will accelerate the development of Guangdong’s blockchain network and promote infrastructure for data circulation and utilization through “data-chain integration.”

Regarding the support system, the “Opinions” put forward multiple measures. These include strengthening the coordinated interaction between fiscal funds and social capital, guiding various types of social capital to invest, and encouraging financial institutions to increase credit and financing support for key digital areas. It also explores establishing scenario-based innovation incubation mechanisms and fostering a diverse range of application scenarios with openness and inclusiveness.

(Edited by: Wang Zhiqiang HF013)

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