The General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China ("CPCCC") and the General Office of the State Council have recently issued the Strategic Outline of Rural Development via Digital Technologies (the "Outline").
The Outline states that preliminary progress will be made in rural development via application of digital technologies by 2020 when 4G networks will be available in over 98% of nationwide administrative villages and internet will be popularized at a notably higher rate in rural areas, adding that it is expected to succeed in building digital villages in all aspects, add impetus to the all-round rural revitalization and achieve the goal of boasting a robust agricultural sector, building beautiful countryside and enriching farmers, by the middle of this century. To this end, the Outline lays out key tasks in ten aspects, among which are "accelerating the building of information infrastructure in rural areas", "developing digital economy in rural areas" and "improving the supply of science and technology innovation resources for the agricultural sector and in rural areas". Among others, the Outline expressly states that the pilot program on compensation for universal telecommunication services will be implemented constantly to support the development of broadband networks in rural areas. Efforts will be also made to build and upgrade radio and TV infrastructure in rural areas, and meanwhile, carry out an "internet plus" program intended for introducing agricultural products to cities, and step up the building of infrastructure in respect to processing, packaging, cold chain and storage for agricultural products. Furthermore, more postal service outlets and express delivery outlets will be established in rural areas, and a number of smart logistics distribution centers will be built as a faster pace.