China is eyeing “new infrastructure” projects to bring new drivers for the economy and boost sustainable growth in the digital era.

Workers install 5G base stations in Shanghai. (Photo/Chinanews.com)

The country will speed up the construction of new infrastructure that includes 5G telecom networks and data centers, according to a meeting held by the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on March 4.

The concept of new infrastructure was raised at the Central Economic Work Conference in 2018. Different from the traditional notion of infrastructure typically defined to include things such as railway, roads, bridges and water conservancy projects, new infrastructure mainly refers to key infrastructure facilities based on information technology in the era of digital economy.

It typically includes 5G, extra-high-voltage power transmission, inter-city rail transit, vehicle charging facilities, big data centers, artificial intelligence, industrial internet, and internet of things – areas for which China anticipates great opportunities for development.

5G networks provide new opportunities for the development of smart cities, internet of vehicles, smart agriculture and smart medical care.

By February, about 156,000 5G base stations had been put into use by China’s top three telecommunication companies. By the end of this year, the country will build 600,000 base stations and put into use over 550,000 base stations.

The rapid deployment of 5G base stations has contributed significantly to China’s ongoing fight against the novel coronavirus epidemic. Based on 5G infrastructure, 4K/8K live video, telemedicine, as well as VR and AR technologies will continue to be encompassed into broader and broader prospects in the future.

As a key part of new infrastructure, artificial intelligence is expected to bring new technologies and business modes.

China’s Ministry of Science and Technology announced to support cities including Chongqing, Chengdu, Xi’an and Jinan in developing pilot zones for innovative development of the new generation of artificial intelligence on March 9. The ministry plans to develop about 20 pilot zones across the country by 2023.

China also desires to make breakthroughs in vehicle charging facilities. The country will build 63 million charging poles, with a market value of 1 trillion yuan for new energy vehicles in the next 10 years, according to CCIDC Consulting, a leading Chinese consulting firm.

In terms of big data centers, China had about 74,000 big data centers in 2019, accounting for 23 percent of the global total, said Sun Huifeng, president of CCIDC Consulting.

Fueled by the application of artificial intelligence, 5G, blockchain technology, and industrial internet, China will see unprecedented growth of big data centers, especially large-scale big data centers, Sun added.