China’s Data Chief: Data Now a Key Driver for Enterprises
China’s National Data Administration (NDA) Director Liu Liehong has declared that data is becoming a new driving force for enterprises, underscoring Beijing’s strategic push to position data as a cornerstone of the country’s digital economic transformation. Speaking at the “DATA Night” event of the 2026 China International Big Data Industry Expo in Guiyang on August 28, Liu said that many well-performing enterprises now share a new driving force—data-driven momentum.
The “DATA Night” Event
The DATA Night event, a signature activity of the 2026 Big Data Expo, brought together more than 500 representatives from government, industry, academia, research, and application sectors. The event was guided by the expo’s organizing committee and hosted by People’s Daily Online and Guizhou Big Data Group, with the theme “Data Gathering, Embodied Intelligence, Empowering Real Economy.”
Liu, who serves as Party Group Member of the National Development and Reform Commission and Director of the NDA, emphasized that data is playing both a fundamental resource role and an innovation engine role in the economy. “Data-driven force is promoting continuous improvement of enterprise core competitiveness and helping enterprises adapt to ever-changing market demands,” he said.
Policy Framework and Future Directions
The NDA chief outlined the administration’s “531” work implementation system for data element market-oriented allocation reform, developed in coordination with various regions and departments. The framework balances data development with security concerns, comprising five coordinated policy tools—institutions, facilities, scenarios, markets, and industry—supported by three foundational pillars of technology, talent, and standards, with a single key focus on data empowering AI innovation.
Looking ahead, Liu said the NDA will vigorously promote data resource development and utilization, facilitate integrated application of public data, enterprise data, and other data sources, and strengthen support for data circulation technology and infrastructure. He called for more industries to complete the full value chain from data rights confirmation, pricing, and revenue distribution to circulation utilization and security governance, achieving dual value and commercial closed loops to continuously release data dividends.
The remarks come as 2026 has been designated the “Data Element Value Release Year” by the NDA, following the National Data Work Conference held in late December 2025.
Broader Digital Economy Push
The 2026 Big Data Expo, held under the theme “Token—New Path for Data Element Value Release,” attracted more than 16,000 registered guests and 372 Chinese and foreign enterprises, according to Xinhua News Agency. The event featured 26 industry exchange activities, 7 innovation competitions, and 31 exhibition-industry integration commercial activities.
At the expo’s opening ceremony, Liu noted that China has built over 126,000 high-quality datasets with total data volume exceeding 1815 PB as of August 2026, up more than 89% from March 2026. “Currently, AI development shows distinct data-driven characteristics. We insist that wherever AI develops, high-quality dataset construction and application should advance,” he said.
Guizhou Vice Governor Luo Qiang highlighted the province’s digital economy achievements, noting that Guizhou’s digital industry cluster has reached 300 billion yuan in total scale, with computing power exceeding 176 EFLOPS. He said the province will deepen its “AI+” action and seize opportunities in the emerging token economy.
Analysis and Implications
Liu’s remarks signal a significant policy shift in how China views data—not merely as a byproduct of digital activity but as a strategic economic resource comparable to land, labor, and capital. The “531” work system represents a comprehensive attempt to create a functioning market for data, addressing the complex issues of data rights, pricing, and cross-entity circulation that have long hampered data monetization.
The emphasis on the “token economy” reflects China’s recognition of AI’s growing appetite for data tokens—the fundamental units processed by large language models. With daily token call volumes in China exceeding 140 trillion as of March 2026, the country is positioning itself to lead in what NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has called the “token economy.”
The designation of 2026 as “Data Element Value Release Year” and the rapid growth in high-quality datasets suggest China is moving deliberately to build the infrastructure needed for AI-driven economic growth. The establishment of the NDA in 2023 and its subsequent policy frameworks indicate a coordinated national strategy to unlock data’s economic potential while maintaining regulatory oversight.
What to Watch
As China’s data economy continues to evolve, key developments to monitor include the implementation of the “531” work system across different regions, progress on data rights confirmation and pricing mechanisms, and the growth of the token economy as AI adoption accelerates. The expansion of Guizhou’s digital infrastructure—including its role as a national computing power hub—will also be closely watched as a bellwether for China’s broader digital transformation ambitions.
With the 15th Five-Year Plan period now underway, China’s approach to data governance and utilization will likely have significant implications not only for domestic enterprises but also for global data policy and international digital trade dynamics.