The State Council has called for a boost in the development and application of big data in restructuring the economy and improving governance.

According to a document released on Sept 5, China, with the world’s largest number of Internet users, enjoys abundant data resources and a wide application market which have become beneficial in generating economic growth, reshaping its competitive edge and improving social governance.

But the development of big data still lags behind due to problems such as a weak industrial basis and the lack of openness and long-term strategic planning.

The government is to establish a new model of social governance and by the end of 2017 resources are expected to be shared across various government departments.

The use of big data will help improve accuracy in the surveillance, analysis and prediction of economic operations, which will significantly boost the efficiency of policy adjustments.

The document also said the government will formulate regulations to guarantee open social access to public data. An open platform is expected to be established by the end of 2018 to release data in priority areas such as credit, transportation, medical care, health and employment.

Additionally, the government is also urging the integration of big data with new-generation information technology, such as cloud computing, Internet of Things and mobile Internet, in a bid to upgrade traditional industries and foster new economic growth.