The State Council on Aug 24 issued a circular to promote and upgrade information consumption, aimed at further unleashing the potential of domestic demand.
According to the circular, by 2020, the scale of information consumption is expected to expand to 6 trillion yuan ($901 billion), an average annual growth of over 11 percent. And the growth of the sector will drive the output of 1.5 trillion yuan from related industries.
The key fields and categories involved in the circular include those closely related to people’s daily life, public services, industrial information, and new information products.
To achieve the goal by 2020, related departments and industries were encouraged to enhance the supply and quality of information products and services, expand consumption coverage and optimize the development environment.
According to the guideline, intelligent digital products for families should be promoted. Meanwhile, Internet of Things, big data, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence should be used to upgrade digital products and their application in public transportation, energy, and environmental protection.
Innovative digital content and services, and online education and medical care are also important sectors to drive up consumption.
The development of e-commerce platform in rural areas should also be emphasized, the circular said.
In terms of expanding consumption coverage, related departments and industries should attach great importance to upgrading infrastructure construction in rural and remote regions, lowering costs, and enhancing customers’ experiences.
Meanwhile, they were also required to provide assistance for those not familiar with information products, such as online payment and related risks.
And a series of regulations should be reinforced to strengthen supervision, credibility checks and protection of intellectual property rights, and safeguard users’ information safety.
In addition, 42 specific tasks led by departments of the State Council, including the National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Education, were listed.
