The cities of Nanning, Guilin and Beihai in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region have been approved as the first batch of digital economic demonstration zones in the region, according to a document released at the end of 2020 by the Development and Reform Commission of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and the Guangxi Big Data Development Bureau.

The implementation plan on building digital economic demonstration zones in Guangxi from 2020 to 2025 noted that the region will strive to build one or two national pilot zones for the innovative development of the digital economy and have around 10 pilot zones at regional level with countrywide competitiveness by the end of 2025.

The three digital economic demonstration zones will become the benchmarks for new infrastructure construction in Guangxi, in areas spanning 5G, data centers, artificial intelligence, industrial internet and the internet of things. These zones will have both a high speed fiber optic network and a 5G network to provide solid support for the development of local industries and companies. 

The zones will introduce and cultivate leading companies in the digital economy to help form a complete industrial chain.

They will give full play to the China-ASEAN Information Harbor and the intergovernmental bilateral technology transfer working mechanisms with ASEAN countries to conduct extensive international cooperation.

More special subsidies will be offered in the zones in areas such as big data, the service industry, innovation and entrepreneurship, and preferential financial policies such as favorable tax regimes will also be available.