Tencent chief calls for 'industrial internet' to be a national strategy

China should uphold the industrial internet as a national strategy and devise a series of systems and mechanisms to accelerate its implementation, according to a suggestion to the 3rd session of the 13th National People's Congress scheduled to start on May 22.

Industrial internet is the integration and linking of big data, analytical tools and wireless networks with physical and industrial equipment, or applying meta-level networking functions, to distributed systems.

Pony Ma, a national legislator from Guangdong province and chairman of Tencent Holdings Ltd, suggested a top-down approach in the design of the nation's industrial internet blueprint, among the seven suggestions he submitted to the session, which were mostly related to the digital economy's empowering role in all trades.

In a news release outlining his suggestions, Ma identified the prominent role of the industrial internet in China's prevention and control efforts of the novel coronavirus epidemic, and such achievements represent a deepened integration of internet, big data, artificial intelligence and the real economy.

He said key focuses should be on promoting new infrastructure construction, digital transformation in all walks of life, innovation in scientific research and development, smart city initiatives and internet information security.

"To uphold such a goal, it is imperative to promote cloud computing infrastructure, data middle-platforms for data sharing, encourage an open-source innovation ecosystem, and enhance digital research and development levels," Ma said.

He also called for the construction of an industrial internet platform of international standards and encouraged various industries in the national economy to be connected to the internet and go digital.

For instance, the fostering of a batch of fundamental, industrywise apps is instrumental to the building of intelligent plants and shared manufacturing, whereas the popularization of digital vehicles like cloud computing capabilities, mini programs and livestreaming tools stands to enhance merchants' capabilities to engage with customers and serve them in a more efficient manner.

Digital economy will also play its part in reinvigorating rural areas, as China is poised to eradicate poverty by the end of this year, Ma said in a separate suggestion. New technologies are set to bridge the digital gap between the countryside and urban areas, promote high-quality development, and entitle farmers with the shared dividends of the digital economy.

To this end, the country should bolster the development of internet information platforms in rural regions for better local governance, upgrade existing digital solutions to sustain long-term economic development, and build more digital infrastructure to broaden public services such as education and healthcare, he said.

Ma also referred to the role of the digital economy in addressing the difficulties of small and medium-sized enterprises, empowering medical workers, and fostering core competence in financial technologies.