China sets action plan for digital, intelligent supply chains

BEIJING -- China rolled out an action plan on Monday to accelerate the development of digital and intelligent supply chains as part of broader efforts to modernize them.

The action plan, jointly issued by the Ministry of Commerce and seven other departments, advocates adopting cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and blockchain to drive digitalization, intelligentization and visualization of supply chains.

The plan vows to improve the agricultural supply chains, develop intelligent manufacturing supply chains, strengthen supply chain integration in the wholesale sector, optimize retail supply chains, and reduce logistics costs, according to the commerce ministry.

It comes as the country is stepping up efforts to improve the systems for enhancing the resilience and security of industrial and supply chains, promote full integration between the real economy and the digital economy, and encourage enterprises to apply digital and intelligent technologies to transform and upgrade traditional industries.

The plan aims to establish replicable models for building digital and intelligent supply chains, with deeply embedded, intelligent and self-supporting systems operational across the country's major industries and key fields by 2030.

It also targets nurturing about 100 national leading enterprises in the digital and intelligent supply chain sector by 2030.