Nation pledges to further bolster digital endeavors

China will ratchet up efforts to speed up the construction of digital infrastructure and deepen reforms related to the market-oriented allocation of data elements, while advancing the building of a "Digital China", as the innovation of digital technologies has become a driving force for bolstering high-quality economic growth, officials and experts said.

Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing said that heightened efforts should be made to enhance independent innovation capacity in the digital field, step up the research and application of key digital technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence and blockchain, and promote the establishment of a national integrated computing power network.

Zhang made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the 8th Digital China Summit, which started on Tuesday in Fuzhou, Fujian province.