“Internet Plus”—Competitiveness race has started
-- Economic micro-observation after the one year operation of “Internet Plus” Action Plan

COVER ARTICLE

It has been more than one year after the “Internet Plus” Action Plan was raised publicly.

On March 05, 2015, Premier Li Keqiang proposed for the first time the formulation of the “Internet Plus” Action Plan at the opening ceremony of the third session of the 12th National People’s Congress (NPC). The “purpose for the ‘Internet Plus’ Action Plan is to promote a combination of mobile Internet, cloud computing, big data and Internet of Things with modern manufacturing industry, boost sound development of e-commerce, industrial Internet and Internet finance, and guide Internet enterprises to expand international market”. According to one scholar’s analysis, it is not accidental at all that the “Internet Plus” Action Plan and “Made in China” Plan appeared at the same time in this year’s Report on the Government Work.

Different from the new technical revolutions such as “Industry 4.0” and “Internet of Things” proposed by such old-brand manufacturing states as Germany and US, China’s “Internet Plus” Action Plan combined with modern manufacturing is characterized by Chinese industrial structure and industrial development. Even so, it is still a change relying on modern manufacturing. From this starting point, China, by the data-driven industrial Industry, has a competitiveness race together with other states.

Though it is a little late in the start of the race, China also ushers in a historic development opportunity in the era of technological development and universal interconnection. In one year after starting the race, which China’s industries will seize the opportunity? Which enterprises have succeeded? After the one-year development of “Internet Plus”, we can analyze the predictable challenges and future by summing up the achievements made in the past year.