Wireless connection products are on exhibit at 2018 Computing Conference in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo/IC]

The economy in East China's Zhejiang province, one of the pioneers in implementing China's reform and opening-up, is gaining more vitality with digital economy being an important driving force.

According to the provincial government's work report released on Jan 27, developing digital economy has become a high priority in Zhejiang since 2018 with the initiation of a five-year plan. For this year, it will deepen the implementation of the plan and strive for a 15 percent growth in the value added of core industries.

"In recent years, Hangzhou has become the city receiving the largest influx of high-end talents in China," said Zhou Jun, a deputy to the 13th Zhejiang Provincial People's Congress and director of NetEase's strategic cooperation division, explaining that the booming digital economy in the city is probably the reason.

Another congress deputy Zhang Kai submitted a motion about 5G this year. He said 5G technology has been widely applied in fields such as the internet of vehicles, the internet of things and unmanned vehicles, describing the technology as the "key" to open the digital economy era.

As the government work report noted that to deepen the development of digital economy, Zhejiang should stick to the digital industrialization and industrial digitization, some congress deputies and members of the 12th Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) voiced their views during the ongoing Zhejiang two sessions.

"The digitalization of industries means making use of digital technologies to boost intelligent manufacturing," said Wang Qiang, head of Innovation Research Institute of Hangzhou Robam Appliances.

Wang Zhentao, chairman of Aokang Investment Holdings, submitted a proposal about the integration of internet, big data, artificial intelligence and traditional industries at the second session of the 12th Zhejiang Provincial Committee of CPPCC based on his work experiences.

Jing Xiandong, a member of the provincial CPPCC committee said Zhejiang's mobile payment, which has been effectively improving people's livelihoods, is leading the country and has become a new driver to boost digital economic growth.

The government should promote industrial revolution, upgrade its governance and propel social and economic development by encouraging scientific and technological innovation, according to Bao Hujun, dean of the Faculty of Information Technology, Zhejiang University.

Bao said that the digital technologies are transforming the way we work and live and therefore we must create more innovative technologies if we want to explore more possibilities.