GUANGDONG has had a stronghold on first place in terms of China’s digital economy development for three consecutive years, followed by Jiangsu and Zhejiang, according to a report released at the 2018 China Internet Plus & Digital Economy Summit held in Chongqing from April 12-13.

The digital economies of the three aforementioned provinces make up nearly one-third of China’s developmental output. In 2017, China’s entire digital economy was worth 27.2 trillion yuan (US$4.3 trillion), a 20.3 percent increase over 2016.

The report also revealed that Shenzhen ranked first among 351 Chinese cities for its digital economy development, with Guangzhou and Beijing following in second and third place, respectively. The other top 10 cities are Shanghai, Chengdu, Wuhan, Chongqing, Dongguan, Hangzhou and Changsha.

Another trend indicated by the report is that Internet Plus is promoting more balanced economic and social development in China, with less disparities being found between cities. (Xinhua)