By Ma Yuan & Gao Taishan, Enterprise Research Institute, DRC

Research Report, No.164, 2020 (Total 5908) 2020-7-1

Abstract: The vigorous development of digital economy across the world has propelled various countries to accelerate their institutional transformation mode. When it comes to country-based evaluations, six international organizations including the World Bank, the International Telecommunication Union and the United Nations among others have all incorporated the relevant indicators of business environment for digital economic development into evaluation framework. And it can be found that their common concerns focus on fiver aspects: digital fundamental infrastructure, digital economic innovation, competition and consumer protection, data and security, supervision and services. The major policy pursuits behind these evaluation indicators mainly aim to solve the following problems: 1. Reducing the costs of Internet application and accelerating the sharing of digital dividends; 2. Stepping up digital talent cultivation and forging innovation culture; 3. Constructing a competitive market and fulfilling platform responsibilities; 4. Strengthening the basis of Internet security and protecting personal information; 5. Introducing regulatory sandbox mode and improving government services. With regard to the issues mentioned above, this paper suggests that efforts be made to accelerate the construction of China’s evaluation system for the business environment of digital economy, incorporate it into the reform system of streamlining administration, delegating powers and enhancing services as key arrangements, give priority to addressing weak links and promote institutional adjustment and policy supply.

Keywords: digital economy, business environment, international indicators, policy options