On November 25th, the 45th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 15th Beijing Municipal People's Congress passed the Regulations of Beijing Municipality on Promoting Digital Economy (hereinafter referred to as the Regulations). The Regulations consist of nine chapters, including digital infrastructure, data resources, digital industrialization, industrial digitalization, smart city construction, digital economy security, safeguard measures and so on. The Regulations will come into force on January 1, 2023. 

In view of the "three elements" of the development of digital economy, namely, digital infrastructure, data resources and information technology, the Regulations stipulates the construction requirements of information network infrastructure, computing power infrastructure and new technology infrastructure, and stipulate the rules of data convergence, utilization, opening and trading. In view of the "two ways" of digital economy development, namely, digital industrialization and industrial digitalization, the Regulations stipulates the technology, industrial direction and enterprise development of digital industrialization, and lists the industrial fields and promotion measures of digital transformation and upgrading. 

Based on "digital technology", the Regulations clearly designs the two supporting elements of "digital infrastructure" and "data resources": improving the construction of data infrastructure and opening the "information gate". In response to the demand of "data sharing", the Regulations also designs a unified management "public data catalogue" and sharing mechanism to promote the interconnection of public data and related business systems. 

In terms of digital industrialization, the Regulations stipulates supporting the construction of digital economic industrial parks and innovation bases, promoting the development of digital industries in key areas, and cultivating digital industrial clusters. At the same time, the Regulations encourages innovation in digital economy to back the optimization and upgrading of online services and products such as telecommuting. It also encourages individuals to use new platforms such as e-commerce and social software to find jobs and start businesses, while fostering and promoting new industries such as intelligent cars, buses and unmanned distribution robots, supporting the development of E-hospitals, and encouraging the provision of new medical services such as online medical consultation. 

In terms of industrial digitalization, the Regulations highlights the digitalization of state-owned enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises, industry, finance, commerce, agriculture and related contents. It encourages relevant departments to make use of new technologies to carry out chain transformation of traditional industries and improve total-factor productivity, such as building smart factories, enriching the application scenarios of digital RMB, promoting the digital promotion of old brands, and developing smart museums and smart gymnasiums. 

In terms of digital economy security, the Regulations strictly regulates the supervision of digital economy and improves the digital service guarantee measures for disadvantaged groups. The Regulations stipulates that any unit or individual engaged in data processing activities shall abide by laws and regulations, public order and good customs, as well as scientific and technological ethics, and shall not put national security, public interests and the legitimate rights and interests of others in danger. The Regulations encourages all units to set up chief data officers, and stipulates that no unit or individual may illegally handle other’s personal information. To carry out data processing activities, according to the Regulations, a data governance and compliance operation system should be established to fulfill the obligation of data security protection.