China Launches State-Run National Data Group

China held a launch ceremony on the 20th in Xiong’an New Area, Hebei Province, for the centrally managed state-owned China National Data Group. Ding Xuexiang, a vice premier of China’s State Council, attended and formalized the launch. The company is headquartered in Xiong’an New Area and will focus on developing and using data resources.

The group will develop, integrate, and operate national-level data resources and promote data movement and sharing across industries and regions. It plans to increase data’s economic value, identify business models, and expand the data industry ecosystem through cooperation among government departments, local governments, companies, and research institutions. Ding said the group’s establishment was important for seizing opportunities in AI development, accelerating the development of Digital China, and gaining an edge in national competition. He called for faster construction of data infrastructure and stronger development of core technologies.

China established the National Data Administration in 2023 to handle policy and institutional design. The state-owned company will focus on implementation, including operating and using data resources and expanding the market, rather than setting policy. The article says this structure separates the administrative body from the company carrying out business activities to improve execution in the data industry.

Zhang Xianghong, a member of an expert advisory committee, said sharing data across industries and regions could improve the efficiency of resource allocation and ease the problem of data silos, in which organizations keep data isolated. He said this could also speed the creation of a unified national data market.

The article describes the move as part of China’s strategy for technological self-reliance and AI industry development. Improving AI model performance requires high-quality data and the computing infrastructure to process it. With U.S. export controls on advanced semiconductors limiting access to hardware, improving the efficiency of data use is seen as a task in strengthening the competitiveness of China’s domestic AI industry.

China held a launch ceremony on the 20th in Xiong’an New Area, Hebei Province, for the centrally managed state-owned China National Data Group. Ding Xuexiang, a vice premier of China’s State Council, attended and formalized the launch. The company is headquartered in Xiong’an New Area and will focus on developing and using data resources.

The group will develop, integrate, and operate national-level data resources and promote data movement and sharing across industries and regions. It plans to increase data’s economic value, identify business models, and expand the data industry ecosystem through cooperation among government departments, local governments, companies, and research institutions. Ding said the group’s establishment was important for seizing opportunities in AI development, accelerating the development of Digital China, and gaining an edge in national competition. He called for faster construction of data infrastructure and stronger development of core technologies.

China established the National Data Administration in 2023 to handle policy and institutional design. The state-owned company will focus on implementation, including operating and using data resources and expanding the market, rather than setting policy. The article says this structure separates the administrative body from the company carrying out business activities to improve execution in the data industry.

Zhang Xianghong, a member of an expert advisory committee, said sharing data across industries and regions could improve the efficiency of resource allocation and ease the problem of data silos, in which organizations keep data isolated. He said this could also speed the creation of a unified national data market.

The article describes the move as part of China’s strategy for technological self-reliance and AI industry development. Improving AI model performance requires high-quality data and the computing infrastructure to process it. With U.S. export controls on advanced semiconductors limiting access to hardware, improving the efficiency of data use is seen as a task in strengthening the competitiveness of China’s domestic AI industry.