On the morning of October 10th, the State Council Information Office hosted a press conference focused on the development and utilization of public data resources. During the session, Chen Ronghui, the deputy director of the National Data Bureau, highlighted the critical need to effectively expand the supply of public data while maintaining safety, which is essential for maximizing the value of these resources and supporting economic and social progress.
The previous day, on October 9th, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China released its “Opinions on Accelerating the Development and Utilization of Public Data Resources,” a move that has sparked considerable interest across various sectors.
A reporter at the conference requested clarification from Chen on the systematic approach outlined in the “Opinions,” specifically regarding the three methods of stimulating data resource supply: sharing, opening, and authorized operation. How do these three approaches relate to one another?
In his response, Chen elaborated on the unique characteristics of public data, noting its substantial volume, high quality, and significant potential for value. He emphasized that this data is indispensable for government agencies at all levels to effectively execute their responsibilities and should play a more prominent role in driving economic and social development.
The “Opinions” delineate the three supply methods—sharing, opening, and authorized operation—with a focus on tailoring policies to meet varying demands driven by the characteristics of the data itself. This strategy not only addresses diverse needs for development and utilization but also sets specific management requirements, ultimately tackling the challenge of ensuring the availability of public data resources.
Chen explained that sharing is primarily aimed at government departments and seeks to navigate the complexities involved in data exchanges that cross levels, regions, systems, departments, and industries. Its intent is to aid these entities in fulfilling their functions, enhancing collaborative regulatory capabilities, and elevating public service standards. Notably, the State Council has issued six lists of data-sharing responsibilities and four lists concerning the connectivity of regulated business system data. Collectively, these initiatives have resulted in over 540 billion shared calls and more than 680 million pieces of regulated data exchanged. Currently, efforts are underway to streamline key processes, with 21 priority items accelerating implementation, significantly benefitted by effective inter-agency data sharing. The “Opinions” encourage achieving “one data source for one dataset,” integrating proactive and demand-driven sharing, and refining sharing responsibility lists. The intensity of forthcoming government data-sharing initiatives is set to increase, further supporting the construction of a digital government.
In contrast, the opening approach targets businesses and the general public, underscoring the necessity of legally and systematically making data available online, while ensuring national data security and protecting personal information and trade secrets. The aim is to empower businesses and the public to access and utilize public data, thus enhancing its contribution to production, daily life, scientific research, and social governance. According to recent statistics, by July of this year, 243 provincial and municipal governments in China have initiated data-opening platforms, providing access to more than 370,000 datasets—a remarkable 44-fold increase over the past eight years. The “Opinions” advocate for improving the framework governing public data openness, prioritizing the release of data that closely relates to people’s livelihoods and urgent societal needs, and encouraging feedback mechanisms for public data requests. These initiatives are expected to continuously improve the quality and accessibility of public data.
Chen further emphasized that while the development and opening of public data resources serve as guiding principles, security and regulatory compliance must take precedence. For data with high potential value that may also carry certain sensitivities, direct public access is often impractical. Instead, more specialized efforts and governance investments are required to create data products and services that can be made available to various societal parties. This is where the concept of authorized operation comes into play. In recent years, several localities and departments have actively explored this approach, gaining valuable insights, albeit some regulatory challenges have arisen. Consequently, the “Opinions” specifically outline guidelines for public data authorized operations, addressing market concerns, fulfilling development demands, and striking a balance between high-quality development and high-level safety, all while safeguarding the rights and interests of all stakeholders involved. This provides a solid policy foundation and clear implementation guidelines for public data authorized operations.
In conclusion, despite the different targets, purposes, and methods among sharing, opening, and authorized operation, all three converge on a unified goal: to effectively expand the supply of public data resources, unlock their potential value, and optimally support economic and social development while ensuring safety.
