South China-situated Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region announced a package of 
119 big data projects to attract investment for sharpening the local digital 
industry recently.

On June 28, the Guangxi Big Data Industry Fair for Investment and Cooperation, 
as an important communication platform for introducing leading domestic 
Internet and big data enterprises into Guangxi, was convened in Beijing.

The project package, covering dozens of areas including intelligent transport, 
smart cities, high-end numerical control, cross-border E-commerce, modern 
agriculture, E-sports, film and animation, and unmanned driving, is dedicated 
to crafting Guangxi into a new highland for digital economy together with both 
domestic and overseas big data enterprises.

Yang Jinbai, Vice Chairman of the People's Government of Guangxi Zhuang 
Autonomous Region, said these handpicked programs represent strong market 
demand and bright development prospects, and Guangxi hoped to turn them into 
flagship projects in its development of big data industry.

A majority of these programs, with total investment of more than 70 billion 
yuan, involve investment in excess of 500 million yuan and 25 ones of them 
require over one billion yuan of investment, explained Xi Yang, Deputy 
Secretary General of the People's Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous 
Region and head of its big data development bureau.

Generally speaking, Guangxi boasts unique geological, ecological and natural 
resource advantages, which lay a solid foundation for it to develop big data 
industry. Guangxi is the only autonomous region linked overland and by sea with 
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and it is also a vital 
point of connectivity for the Belt and Road.

After the China-ASEAN Information Harbour construction plan was approved in 
February, Guangxi conducted investment inviting work centering upon five types 
of platforms including ones for infrastructure, information sharing, technology 
cooperation, economic and trade services and cultural exchanges.

Currently, Guangxi is accelerating construction of the grand international 
communication channel facing ASEAN. Via attracting companies to invest in 
Guangxi and inking cooperation pacts with firms from ASEAN members, the 
autonomous region has greatly improved the capacity of China-ASEAN Information 
Harbour in serving the ASEAN.

Last year, Guangxi saw its digital economy generate about 580 billion yuan of 
output, up more than 13 percent year on year and accounting for 28.9 percent of 
its regional economic product.

SOURCE:  The People's Government of Guangxi