General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized that improving the well-being of the people should be the starting point and end point of informatization development, so that the people can have more sense of gain, happiness and security in informatization development. With the acceleration of the digital era, informatization and digitalization not only create huge wealth and promote inclusive economic and social development, but also make the unbalanced development between urban and rural areas, regions, groups and industries more prominent, and the urgency and necessity of promoting digital inclusive development have been significantly enhanced.
China has always attached great importance to the development of digital inclusion, and has continuously enhanced the accessibility, affordability and application of digital technologies through a series of measures and actions, effectively promoting the elimination of the digital divide, and has achieved positive results. However, at present, all walks of life have different understandings of the concept and connotation of digital inclusion, and the path strategy to promote digital inclusion is still in the exploration stage. Based on this, the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) has set up a project team to compile the Research Report on China's Digital Inclusive Development (2024). Recently, the report was officially released.
From the perspective of techno-economic paradigms, the report systematically analyzes and summarizes the conceptual connotation, global dilemma, Chinese practice, typical cases and promotion strategies of digital inclusion at the theoretical and practical levels, and constructs the overall framework of "12345" digital inclusion, hoping to promote the formation of a broad consensus on digital inclusion and promote the deeper exploration of digital inclusion practices.
Key takeaways from the report
1. Digital inclusion is the integration and sublimation of existing related concepts. The concept of digital inclusion is refined and developed by combining the concepts of digital divide and inclusive development. Digital inclusion is more concerned with how to take action to influence the effectiveness of technology application, has more practical significance, and pays more attention to the results of people's application of digital technology and participation in digital life.
2. The essence of digital inclusion is the embodiment of the duality of the digital techno-economic paradigm. The digital techno-economic paradigm is changing more rapidly than ever before, and the bias it brings is more obvious and intense. In the future, while giving full play to the enabling role of digital technology, new concepts and institutional arrangements are needed to overcome the bias in technology diffusion.
3. Digital inclusion is facing difficulties in promoting digital inclusion around the world, and China's plan has reference value. Globally, there are obvious differences in the level of digital development among countries, and the "North-South gap" in the digital era has not narrowed, but may become even more disparity. In contrast, China has built a set of "China Plans" to promote digital inclusion, which provides a useful reference for all countries, especially developing economies, to seize the opportunities of digital technology transformation and promote the inclusive sharing of digital dividends.
4. Digital inclusion does not happen spontaneously and needs to be actively practiced. At present, digital inclusion is still in the early stage of development, and it is still necessary for various entities such as governments, enterprises, social organizations, and citizens to take into account the actual characteristics and needs of various fields, target difficult and blocking problems, innovate promotion mechanisms, explore implementation methods, actively mobilize resources, and clarify development paths.
Table of Contents of Reports
1. The origin and significance of the concept of digital inclusion
(1) Origin: Digital technology has become the biggest variable in economic and social development
(2) Concept: A concept and arrangement for reducing inequality in the digital age
(3) Significance: Key measures to promote the inclusive sharing of digital dividends
2. The global dilemma of promoting digital inclusion and China's progress
(1) The essential characteristics of digital inclusion from the perspective of techno-economic paradigm
(2) Some underdeveloped countries and regions are at risk of falling behind in the digital age
(3) Positive progress has been made in the exploration of China's digital inclusion practices
3. Typical cases of practicing digital inclusion
(1) Green Pepper Plan: Empower the all-round development of young rural teachers with "Internet +".
(2) Small repairs for people's livelihood: Tencent launched the "Small Repairs and Small Repairs" convenience map
(3) Technology as the "eyes and ears": HarmonyOS uses digital technology to create a warm barrier-free experience
(4) Digital assistance to agriculture: China Resources' integrated solution of "software and hardware + Internet of Things" accelerates the digital management of agricultural products
4. Strategic recommendations for accelerating digital inclusion
(1) Ideas and overall framework for accelerating the development of digital inclusion
(2) Suggestions for accelerating the advancement of digital inclusive development
Profiles of key experts
Engineer of the Institute of Policy and Economics, Chinese Academy of Information and Communications Technology
Li Zhao
He is mainly engaged in policy research in the fields of digital development and industrial policy, and has participated in the research and formulation of major national strategies and policy documents for many times, as well as major projects of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Cyberspace Administration of the People's Republic of China, and the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
Chief Engineer of the Industrial Policy Research Department of the Institute of Policy and Economics, Chinese Academy of Information and Communications Technology, Senior Engineer, Ph.D
Huo Peng
Visiting scholar at Stanford University. He has been engaged in research work in the fields of industrial policy and digitalization, deeply participated in the formulation of a number of national policies, presided over 5 provincial and ministerial projects, and published more than 20 papers in core journals such as "Reform" and "World Economic Papers".
Engineer of the Institute of Policy and Economics, Chinese Academy of Information and Communications Technology
Zhang scarf
He is mainly engaged in research in the fields of industrial policy, fiscal and taxation policy, digital transformation, etc., and has been deeply involved in the research and drafting of several important national policy documents, as well as major topics such as the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Cyberspace Administration of China.
Engineer of the Institute of Policy and Economics, Chinese Academy of Information and Communications Technology
Song Zehuan
He is mainly engaged in the research of digital transformation, development strategy, and spatial layout in the field of mobile communications.
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Writing Team Contact Details:
China Academy of Information and Communications Technology
Institute for Policy and Economic Research
Li Zhao
010-62303061