Many leaders of China’s internet giants have offered their insights into how to accelerate new infrastructure construction and digital transformation during the just concluded annual sessions of the national legislature and political advisory body, known as the “two sessions”.

A staff member operates a drone to disinfect an area in Tashan township, Ganyu district, Lianyungang, east China’s Jiangsu province, during the COVID-19 epidemic. (Si Wei/People’s Daily Online)

Deputies of the National People's Congress (NPC) and members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, submitted bills and proposals on the topic.

This year’s government work report said China will step up the construction of new types of infrastructure, develop next-generation information networks, expand 5G applications, build more charging facilities and promote wider use of new-energy automobiles.

New infrastructure with artificial intelligence as its core will fuel economic development, said Li Yanhong, Baidu chairman and a CPPCC member.

Accelerating new infrastructure construction will help the real economy cushion the negative impact of the epidemic in the short term, according to an NPC deputy in the internet sector, adding that it is also essential that China embrace the new round of technological and industrial revolutions taking place in the world, and to transform its growth model and realize high-quality development.

Yang Yuanqing, chairman and CEO of Lenovo Group, and an NPC deputy, suggested that greater support be given to new infrastructure construction and the training of versatile professionals to improve the capability to integrate 5G with the industrial internet and promote the sustained, innovative development of the manufacturing industry.

The suggestion was in line with the government work report’s call to encourage the upgrading of manufacturing and the growth of emerging industries, and to promote the industrial internet and boost smart manufacturing.

In terms of digital transformation, Li said China is in an important period in which there is opportunity for the development of transportation, and emerging technologies such as AI and 5G are acting as new engines driving the development of intelligent transportation.

He proposed stepping up the construction of smart transportation infrastructure to build up China’s transportation strength. Li also suggested that intelligent transformation of transportation networks and the building of a new-generation smart transportation platform be accelerated.

Ding Lei, director and CEO of NetEase, and a CPPCC member, said digital technologies should be leveraged to improve China’s capability to monitor major epidemics.

Ding proposed the building of a national epidemic-related big data analysis center to establish an early warning and early intervention mechanism.

In addition, the CEO of Lenovo also called for accelerated development of a new-generation “Internet Plus Healthcare” platform covering households, communities and scientific research institutions based on the internet, big data, AI and other new-generation information technologies.

China will cultivate technology and data markets, thus unleashing potential in all types of production factors, as stated in the government work report. With this in mind, lawmakers and political advisors called for data sharing among different sectors and data security.

The country will advance Internet Plus initiatives across the board and create new competitive strengths in the digital economy, the report said.