S China's Guangxi speeds up promoting digital economy to boost digital economic cooperation with ASEAN

Aerial photo taken on Nov. 8, 2019 shows the Nanning Area of China (Guangxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Qin Guanghua)

BEIJING, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has introduced a series of policies to accelerate construction of digital infrastructure and promote digital economy, as part of its broader efforts to boost digital economic cooperation with the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to a notice released on Thursday on the official website of the local government.

As the notice told, Guangxi will focus on fattening up internet plus sectors, big data, cloud computing, blockchain, industrial internet, Beidou satellite navigation system, intelligent terminal manufacturing industries represented by 5G communication equipment manufacturing, and artificial intelligence-based industries like intelligent multi-language translation and smart industrial robotics.

The autonomous region will also prioritize construction of a digital economy demonstration zone and digital innovation platforms, and shore up the development of digital finance and digital service trade.

Adjoining ASEAN countries, Guangxi vowed to build itself into a highland for China-ASEAN digital economic cooperation and an important gateway for digital economic collaboration under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2025.

Currently, Guangxi is actively building the China-ASEAN Digital Trade Center for boosting regional digital economic cooperation, which is an important project for the construction of the China-ASEAN information harbor.

In the next step, Guangxi will move faster to build an international communication channel connecting ASEAN and southwest and south China, a regional hub for the application of big data resources, and a demonstration highland for the innovation and application of next generation information technology, said an official of Guangxi. (Edited by Su Dan with Xinhua Silk Road, sudan@xinhua.org)