Learning Planning Suggestions Daily Q&A | How to Understand Innovative Development of Digital Trade

Beijing, December 25 (Xinhua) -- The Proposal of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Formulating the 15th Five Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development proposes to "innovate and develop digital trade". Digital trade is a trade characterized by data as the key production factor, digital services as the core, and digital ordering and delivery, including digital ordering trade and digital delivery trade. Currently, global digital trade is flourishing and has become a new trend in international trade development and a new point of economic growth. The deployment of innovative development of digital trade in the "Proposal" is of great significance.

In recent years, China's digital trade has developed rapidly and has become one of the "three pillars" of building a strong trading nation, along with goods trade and service trade. In terms of development scale, the import and export scale of digitally deliverable services (including digital product trade, digital service trade, digital technology trade, and data trade, etc.) will reach 2.9 trillion yuan in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 6.5%; The total import and export volume of cross-border e-commerce (mainly referring to digital order trade) reached 2.7 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 14%. From the perspective of subdivisions, a large number of digital products such as digital movies, online games and so on are widely welcomed around the world. Digital technology trade such as artificial intelligence and cloud services has developed steadily. Digital service trade such as Internet platform services is likely to grow, and the position of data trade hub has gradually become prominent. From the perspective of industrial foundation, China's digital economy ranks second in the world in scale, with huge potential in the consumer market. The increasingly diverse application scenarios of digital technology provide strong support for the development of digital trade.

At the same time, the development of digital trade in China also faces some problems and challenges, such as the need to improve the level of openness in the digital service market, the need to improve the digital governance system, and the fragmentation of international digital trade rules. Innovative development of digital trade can focus on the following four aspects.

Firstly, expand the opening up of the digital field to the outside world. Relax market access in the digital field, improve the management model of pre access national treatment plus negative list, promote the orderly opening up of telecommunications, Internet, culture and other fields, and encourage foreign investors to expand investment in the digital field. Deepen the elimination of market access barriers and improve the level of investment and operation facilitation for foreign-invested enterprises in the field of digital trade within the country. Promote and regulate cross-border data flow, improve data export security management system, clarify data security boundaries, effectively grasp the degree, and balance development and security. Establish an efficient and convenient cross-border data flow mechanism while ensuring the security of important data and personal information.

Secondly, develop new forms and models of digital trade. Actively developing digital product trade, strengthening innovation in digital application scenarios and models, improving the quality and level of digital content production, cultivating and expanding cross-border digital delivery channels, and expanding exports in fields such as digital film and television, digital animation, online games, and online literature. Continuously optimize digital service trade, promote innovative development of digital finance, online education, remote healthcare, professional services and other business formats. Vigorously develop digital technology trade, strengthen innovation in key core technologies, and accelerate the development of foreign trade in fields such as communication, Internet of Things, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and satellite navigation. Promote the high-quality development of digital ordering trade and support the development of "cross-border e-commerce+industrial belts". Continuously strengthen digital trade operators, cultivate leading digital trade enterprises with strong innovation capabilities and small and medium-sized digital trade enterprises with unique competitive advantages.

Thirdly, build a high-level open platform for digital trade. Initiate the construction of national digital trade demonstration zones, and create a digital trade agglomeration development highland with higher levels of openness, more dynamic institutional innovation, better business environment, and stronger leading role in accordance with international economic and trade rules. Strengthen and optimize the national digital service export base, and enhance the competitiveness of digital service exports. High standard construction of service outsourcing demonstration cities, promoting the digital and high-end transformation and upgrading of service outsourcing. Better play the role of various exhibitions, build the Global Digital Trade Expo into a global brand exhibition, and expand digital trade cooperation channels relying on China International Import Expo, China International Service Trade Fair, etc.

Fourth, deepen international cooperation in digital trade. Actively participate in the formulation of various multilateral, bilateral, and regional rules related to digital trade, and create an open, fair, just, and non discriminatory digital development environment. Accelerate the process of regional and bilateral trade and investment agreements, and actively promote accession to the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement. Strengthen digital trade cooperation with ASEAN countries, Central Asian countries, BRICS countries, Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states, and expand the "circle of friends" for digital trade.