Nation seeks to help developing countries get greater benefits from expanding digital economy

Editor's note: China Daily presents a series of reports illustrating how the Global Development Initiative, first proposed by President Xi Jinping, will help countries around the world to shore up robust, green and more balanced growth amid unprecedented challenges. This is the fifth installment of the series.

The booming digital sector, rising number of patent applications and promising prospects of cutting-edge technologies in China have impressed international organizations' officials such as Liu Hua, director of the World Intellectual Property Organization's Office in China.

In recent years, she has witnessed the country's pursuit of innovation-driven growth and enhancement of the digital economy, both at home and abroad.

"When it comes to innovation and intellectual property, China does not sit by waiting for a push from the outside world. What I have seen is the spontaneous actions of its authorities as well as in all walks of life－the private sector, academies and citizens－to unlock the impetus for future growth and to prevail in future development," Liu told China Daily in a recent interview.

Behind this momentum is the evolving Chinese philosophy on global innovation-driven growth, which has been outlined and promoted frequently by President Xi Jinping at key international conferences.

As one of the six main areas of the Global Development Initiative he proposed in September to advance common prosperity worldwide, Xi urged "staying committed to innovation-driven development", and called upon countries to "redouble efforts to harness technological achievements to boost productivity".

When elaborating on innovation-driven growth and the digital economy at the 28th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting on Nov 12, Xi called on countries to "further develop the digital infrastructure, speed up digital transformation, strive to bridge the digital divide and promote development of the digital economy in an all-around way".

Zuo Xiaodong, vice-president of the China Information Security Research Institute, said Beijing's proactive role in these areas was a response to a vast number of developing countries' strong desire to build digital economies. "The digital economy is a major highlight of the current global economic landscape, and it has become the key engine for recovery at a time the global economy is frustrated by the COVID-19 pandemic and faced with sluggish growth," Zuo said.

As part of China's push for common prosperity in these areas, Xi announced on Nov 22 that China will provide 1,000 items of advanced and applicable technology to Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states. The president also announced China will support a program for 300 young scientists from ASEAN countries to come to China for exchanges over the next five years.

During another speech to African nations on Nov 29, Xi unveiled Beijing's plan to undertake 10 digital economy projects for the continent, expand Silk Road e-commerce cooperation and hold online shopping festivals featuring quality African products.

Alongside these Chinese offers of helping or working with other countries, the nation is also pursuing its own innovation-driven growth and successful digital economy.

According to the Global Innovation Index 2021, published by the World Intellectual Property Organization in September, China moved to 12th place and is the only middle-income economy in the top 30.

China's total spending on research and development last year ranked second in the world at 2.44 trillion yuan ($383.35 billion), which accounted for 2.4 percent of the country's annual GDP, Hu Zucai, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, said in March.

"These achievements are the result of the ingenuity and hard work of the Chinese people and the Chinese government's vigorous efforts to advance the IPR strategy and innovation-driven development strategy," Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters on Nov 9.

"The digital technology has saved lives by enabling millions of people to work, study and socialize safely online. But the pandemic has also magnified the digital divide," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned in a video message on Dec 7 to the 16th Internet Governance Forum: "Internet United".He urged countries to strengthen collaboration by regaining control over data and "by connecting everyone to the internet by 2030".

Liu Hua, director of the WIPO Office in China, said that worldwide the innovation-driven economy has shown strong resilience, however, the pandemic has widened the digital divide among regions.

"Switzerland, followed by Sweden, the US and the UK keep their leading status while many other countries are lagging further behind… The remarkable disparity is illustrated by the fact that China is the only developing country among the top 15 on the Global Innovation Index," she said.

The term "digital divide" has also been a key phrase in Beijing's policy narratives. An often repeated phrase by President Xi on innovation and digital governance is to "foster an open, fair, equitable and nondiscriminatory environment "for the development of science and technology.

Speaking to the G20 Leaders' Summit in October, Xi asked the grouping to "shoulder responsibilities in the digital era", further integrate digital technologies with the real economy and "help developing countries eliminate the digital divide".

In terms of actions, China has decided to apply to join the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement with the aim to shore up international cooperation on the digital economy.

The country also put forward the Global Initiative on Data Security in September last year, a major proposal promoted by Xi at various global and regional events intended to help countries fend off risks regarding security, infrastructure and politics in cyberspace.

This initiative has won acclaim from a number of countries in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa, and support for it came from member states of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States after a ministerial-level meeting with China earlier this month.

Shen Yi, a professor and director of the Research Institution of Global Cyberspace Governance at Fudan University in Shanghai, said the initiative's popularity is based on the respect it shows for the ongoing technology revolution as well its effective response to the digital security concerns of developing countries and emerging economies.

The initiative challenges hegemony in digital sectors by promoting inclusive, win-win consultation, and serves to build a community with a shared future in cyberspace, Shen said. "It is an open, inclusive proposal that enshrines fairness and justice," Shen said.