China to set up new unit for data control

China will set up a new bureau to evaluate the massive amount of data collected across the country, as part of a government overhaul that is expected to solidify Xi Jinping’s dominance over the world’s second-largest economy.

According to the reform plan submitted to the annual session of the National People’s Congress, the bureau will be responsible for planning and building a digital society, as well as managing all aspects of data resources.

In recent years, Chinese authorities have drawn attention to the need to strengthen their control over the valuable data produced by large areas of the economy, including the internet industry.

Governments are seeking to gain greater access and control over the flow of information on a global basis, especially as new data-driven technologies such as artificial intelligence emerge.