China Action Plan for Deepening the Development of Smart Cities and Promoting Global Digital Transformation

This 2025 action plan outlines strategic initiatives to accelerate smart city development and urban digital transformation across China. It emphasizes data-driven governance, digital infrastructure, intelligent urban services, emergency management, and industry integration to modernize urban living, improve governance, and foster sustainable, inclusive economic growth into 2035.

The "Action Plan for Deepening the Development of Smart Cities and Promoting Global Digital Transformation,” issued by China’s National Development and Reform Commission and affiliated ministries in 2025, serves as a comprehensive roadmap to advance urban digitalization and modernize urban governance. Rooted in Xi Jinping Thought and guided by directives from the 20th CPC National Congress, the plan seeks to build smart cities that leverage data to enable efficient governance, economic dynamism, and an enhanced quality of life.

Key elements include constructing integrated urban governance systems featuring unified management networks and data-driven decision-making platforms, empowering emergency response through advanced monitoring and AI applications, and enhancing public services with "one-stop" platforms that improve accessibility and inclusiveness.

The plan additionally promotes digital innovation for lifestyle improvements—ranging from smart cultural tourism to green consumption—and supports digital literacy campaigns to bridge the urban-rural digital divide.

On the economic front, it advocates cultivating data-driven industries and urban data marketplaces, fostering innovation clusters, and incorporating cutting-edge technologies such as autonomous driving and AI. Infrastructure modernization focuses on digital and physical integration, urban lifeline safety, intelligent sensing, and robust cyber and data security frameworks.

By 2027, the goal is to have over 50 cities exemplify smart digital transformation, while by 2035, the plan envisions globally competitive modern cities. Emphasis on cooperation among departments, standardization, talent development, and international exchange underscores a coordinated approach to realizing Digital China and bright urban futures.