context: As part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), president Xi first called for a 'digital silk road' in 2017. The notion intersects with plans for IT firms like Huawei, Alibaba, Tencent, Didi and Inspur to expand into overseas markets. These trends will give China more political and economic clout to promote its ideas and technologies on internet sovereignty and online surveillance, Western critics warn.
China has signed digital silk road cooperation agreements with 16 countries and is devising action plans with 12 of them, says Huang Yong 黃勇 National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) Department of International Cooperation director. BRI has strengthened the digital component of infrastructure and economic cooperation and will continue to do so, adds Lin Nianxiu 林念修 NDRC deputy director. China's smart city projects are particularly relevant to BRI countries, says Sun Pishu 孙丕恕 Inspur chairperson. BRI countries are drafting digital economy cooperation timelines based on individual socioeconomic circumstances, reports Economic Information Daily. Over the last two years
- cross-border e-commerce reached C¥134.7 bn in 2018, up 50 percent y-o-y
- telemedicine cooperation grew to over 50 countries
- mobile payment cooperation grew to over 40 countries
- 30 cross-border land cables and over ten submarine cables were constructed
Huang welcomes contributions to the digital silk road by
- governments and international organisations
- devise top-level policy designs
- establish cross-country cooperation mechanisms
- organise industry cooperation alliances
- develop public service platforms
- build dispute resolution mechanisms
- strengthen risk mitigation and cybersecurity
- establish uniform international technical standards
- improve laws and regulations
- improve governance
- enterprises
- construct information technology infrastructure
- develop ICT sector
- facilitate digitalisation of industry and public services
- think tanks
- market agencies
- industry association and alliances' coordination and communication
- foster digitalisation talent
- set up cooperation programme databases