China Focus: Digital growth powering China's future

FUZHOU, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Hooves echo along a winding trail between mist-shrouded cliffs of Wuyi Mountain, where the scent of freshly picked rock tea lingers in the air and sunlight filters through bamboo groves, awakening every sense in the saddle of a strolling steed.

While it may come as a surprise, this immersive journey unfolds not in the wilds of east China's Fujian Province, but on the floor of a tech summit.

At the eighth Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, the crowd-favorite VR experience "Riding through Wuyi," developed by tech firm NetDragon Websoft, uses high-precision 3D modeling and sensory feedback to immerse visitors in a vivid, multi-sensory world powered by digital innovation.

"Cutting-edge and engaging digital technologies transform static cultural symbols into dynamic storytelling, helping younger generations connect with tradition through interactive experiences," said Yu Biao, senior vice president of the company.

From a VR travel simulator to an AI-powered calligraphy robot, the exhibits at the summit offer a glimpse into the rapidly evolving landscape of a digital China.

Since the unveiling of this vision, China has built the world's second-largest digital economy and emerged as a global leader in fields ranging from artificial intelligence and blockchain to smart manufacturing.

Driven by a rapidly expanding digital infrastructure and a thriving data ecosystem, the country's digital economy has become a powerful engine of growth. At the annual summit, themed around China's digital transformation, an impressive digital report card was released showcasing the country's progress in this area.

In 2024, China's total data output surged by 25 percent year on year, reaching 41.06 zettabytes, enough to fill more than 13 million copies of the high-definition "Ne Zha 2," a 144-minute animated blockbuster that has made history in the Chinese film industry.

The added value of core digital industries now accounts for around 10 percent of China's national GDP, while the country's computing power has reached 280 EFLOPS. With over 4.25 million 5G base stations -- representing 60 percent of the global total -- China continues to cement its position at the forefront of the digital revolution.

But beyond factories and fiber optics, the digital boom is also reshaping traditional manufacturing sectors.

China is now home to over 30,000 smart factories nationwide, with advanced facilities increasing production efficiency by more than 22 percent.

China's "lighthouse factories" now account for over 40 percent of the global total. Lighthouse factories are plants recognized by the World Economic Forum for their leadership in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

This digital momentum isn't confined to city tech hubs, but is reaching deep into fields and farms.

New Hope Group, one of China's leading agricultural conglomerates, is a standout player in this shift, embracing digital transformation from the ground up.

"More than a year ago, we launched a six-month digital training program for over 240 mid and senior-level managers," said Liu Yonghao, chairman of the agribusiness giant. "It helped us build consensus that even traditional industries must go digital."

That realization led to the rollout of the company's "lighthouse" project, which is driving modernization across dairy, pig farming, cold-chain logistics and processing.

One notable innovation is a digital feed formula system that has reduced soybean meal usage in pig feed by approximately one percentage point annually, driving both cost savings and sustainability.

New Hope has also partnered with 21 entities in an innovation alliance focusing on conserving grain through digital solutions. In just over two years, this effort has saved more than 2 million tonnes of grain.

The company's big-data breeding system is another notable digitalization achievement, having developed pig breeds that consume less, grow faster and produce more by integrating genetic assessment, intelligent selection and smart cultivation across the full breeding chain.

"Traditional enterprises are playing a vital role in China's agricultural digitalization," Liu said. "And in this new wave of transformation, the future lies in AI."

Many industry insiders share the sentiment with Liu. They believe that China's advantages, such as abundant industrial applications, rich data resources and strong R&D capabilities, continue to make it a fertile ground for AI development.

In 2024 alone, the country accounted for more than 60 percent of newly published global patents related to generative AI.

Cultivating and strengthening the AI industry has been included in China's 14th Five-Year Plan and its development vision for 2035, aiming to advance the sector toward a beneficial, safe and equitable direction.

China's AI market is projected to experience substantial growth in the coming years, according to International Data Corporation. U.S. companies, including Tesla and Microsoft, have set their sights on the commercial prospects of China's AI market.

"To accelerate the development of digital China, it is crucial to seize the unprecedented opportunities brought about by artificial intelligence," said Liu Liehong, head of the National Data Administration, pledging to further advance the market-oriented reform of data elements and the AI Plus initiative. Enditem