China has issued a guideline on the construction of a digital China, which will serve as an important engine for boosting China's modernization drive and build up the country's new competitive edge.

According to a guideline jointly released by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council on Monday, the country will take solid steps to build a digital infrastructure and data resources system and promote the in-depth integration of digital technologies with economy, politics, culture, society and ecological civilization.

By 2025, the quantity and quality of data resources will be improved significantly, the value of data elements will be effectively unleashed and a sound governance system for the digital economy will be established, according to the plan.

China will step up the construction of digital industry clusters with global competitiveness, accelerate the application of digital technologies in key areas such as agriculture, industry, finance, education, healthcare, transportation and energy and support the regulated and healthy development of platform companies.

In addition, efforts will be made to expand international cooperation on the digital domain and actively participate in the formulation of international rules for cross-border data flows.