Beijing Advances Cross-Border Data Flow to Boost Digital Economy
BEIJING, April 2 (Reporter) — Data, as a key innovative factor, is playing an increasingly important industrial role in scenarios such as embodied intelligence training and medical and health care. Experts attending the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum, held recently in Beijing with the theme of "Deep Integration of Technological and Industrial Innovation", noted that with stronger policy support and enhanced international cooperation, reforms to facilitate cross-border data flow are being further deepened and implemented.
Wang Jingtao, Deputy Director of the Cyberspace Administration of China, emphasized the significance of efficient, convenient and secure cross-border data flow at the forum. "At present, there is strong demand for cross-border data flow in many fields in China, including e-commerce, medicine and automobiles, with diverse application scenarios," he said. "Promoting such data flow is of great significance for expanding high-level opening-up and advancing the digital economy." He added that efforts should be made to stimulate innovation vitality and support local governments in exploring and implementing targeted measures to facilitate cross-border data flow based on their actual conditions.
Key industries are set to become breakthroughs and play a leading role as benchmark scenarios. The Beijing Cross-Border Data Flow Version 3.0 Plan, released at the "Forum on Innovative Development of Cross-Border Data Flow" during the annual meeting, focuses on six key areas: medical and health care, artificial intelligence, intelligent connected vehicles, trade logistics, sci-tech finance and commercial aerospace. It smooths the entire compliance process of data acquisition, processing, transmission and transaction, promoting cross-border data flow from supporting single compliance construction to empowering the whole industrial chain collaboration, thus accelerating the release of data element value.
Wang Fei, Deputy Director of the Beijing Cyberspace Administration, provided specific data to illustrate the progress. "As of March 2026, the number of Beijing-based enterprises that have passed cross-border data security assessment and standard contract filing has reached 312, with the pass rate and diversity leading the country consistently," he stated.
Sun Junmin, Member of the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee and Director of the Publicity Department, noted that Beijing will adhere to industrial empowerment and technological drive. It will focus on industries with strong demand for cross-border data flow, such as artificial intelligence, biomedicine, autonomous driving and trade logistics, build "one industry, one policy" demonstration benchmarks, and promote in-depth integration of technological and industrial innovation. Efforts will also be made to accelerate the promotion of trusted circulation technologies such as trusted spaces, blockchain and regulatory sandboxes to better support the high-frequency and large-scale cross-border flow and utilization of data subjects, fully releasing the value of data elements to effectively empower the real economy.
Jiang Xiaojuan, former Deputy Secretary-General of the State Council, pointed out the balance needed in cross-border data flow. "Cross-border data flow is both a hot topic and a difficult issue, requiring a balance between development and security needs, as well as between data outflow and inflow," she said. "After ensuring smooth cross-border data flow, we should use AI agents to optimize cross-border data applications and cross-border data spaces in the future, creating more opportunities for enterprise development."
Promoting international cooperation on cross-border data flow has become a common aspiration and choice among countries and regions. Relevant explorations are already under way. On March 27, the Beijing International Big Data Exchange signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with Siemens (China) Co., Ltd. The two parties will focus on co-building an "industrial trusted data space" and explore the establishment of industrial data trusted circulation mechanisms, technical standards and infrastructure that comply with Chinese laws and international rules.
At the industry association level, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers and the Beijing Representative Office of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association also signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Promoting Cross-Border Automobile Data Flow and Boosting High-Quality Industrial Development on March 27. Relying on the cooperation mechanism of the memorandum, the two parties will promote the compliant circulation and innovative application of data throughout the automobile industry chain.
In addition, regarding international data transactions, the Beijing Cross-Border Data Flow Version 3.0 Plan proposes taking the Beijing International Big Data Exchange as the core trading carrier to explore and build a characteristic service model covering the entire chain of data acquisition, cross-border circulation and transaction settlement. Wang Jingtao reaffirmed China’s commitment to international cooperation: "We advocate reaching consensus on cross-border data flow rules among countries and regions through consultation, and exploring special institutional arrangements on cross-border data flow with relevant countries and regions based on the principles of reciprocity and mutual benefit, so as to create a win-win new pattern of international cooperation in the data field."
