The country's economy is currently state-dominated. (Photo : www.china-embassy.org)
The promotion of big data to create a new model for governance in the next five to 10 years, focusing on accurate management and multi-disciplinary cooperation, came in time as the State Council announced on Sept. 5 that it has released the guidelines to boost the development of big data, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported.
The State Council's guidelines mandate the establishment of a unified platform for governmental data before the end of 2018, to provide citizens with access to public data resources on agriculture, credit, culture, education, employment, finance, public health, science, transport and weather.
The report said that the move came as local governments and businesses around the country widely recognized the significant economic role that big data play, which will benefit not only private commerce but also national economies and their citizens.
In the Beijing Zhongguancun Science Park, China's national center of high-technology innovation, big-data driven industries are expected to generate 1 trillion yuan ($157 billion) in economic benefits, the report said.
According to the report, "open data" collaborations between government, business and the public sector will significantly enhance the city governments' efficiency and effectiveness in transport, medical care, tourism and civil affairs.
Big data applications can also help improve government supervision and help counter corruption.
In 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama issued the Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government, which required executive departments and agencies to take steps toward creating a more open government, which included the publication of government information online, the enhancement of the quality of government information, the creation and institutionalization of a culture of open government, and the creation of a policy framework to pave the way for open government.
On Sept. 20, 2011, the Open Government Partnership was formally launched by eight founding governments of Indonesia, Norway, Brazil, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. The eight governments also endorsed the Open Government Declaration and laid down their respective action plans. As of Feb. 10, 2014, 63 countries worldwide have joined the partnership.
The report said that in the United States, the opening of government data has generated potential value that reached an estimated $2 trillion in administration governance, manufacturing, medical services, retail, location-based services, social networking and e-commerce in 2013.
However, the Chinese government is concerned over national security and leaks of business secrets with the opening of government data despite the enormous economic benefits brought by the application of big data, the report added.
