China's AI drive injects momentum to digital economy

BEIJING - The artificial intelligence (AI) boom in China is catalyzing growth in the country's digital economy, as breakthroughs in key technologies and strong policy support fuel its rapid integration into industries and daily life.

China's rapid AI expansion, underscored by its 60-percent share of global AI patents, is marked by a surge in enterprises, industrial scaling, and innovations in homegrown large models such as DeepSeek.

Backed by abundant data resources and a complete industrial system, the country's digital economy has demonstrated strong momentum. By 2024, the number of data enterprises exceeded 400,000, with the data industry scale reaching 5.86 trillion yuan ($826 billion), marking a 117-percent surge from 2020.

Meanwhile, from agriculture to manufacturing and public service, AI applications are demonstrating tangible results in boosting productivity and transforming traditional industries.

China has made sustained efforts to promote the digital economy's transformation into a smart economy and an intelligent society. Earlier this year, the country rolled out a nationwide "AI Plus" initiative, aiming to strengthen AI-supportive infrastructure and accelerate the integration of AI technology across economic and social domains.