Can state data make China’s AI industry more competitive?

On Tuesday, the National Data Administration (NDA) held a press conference outlining its work in the year ahead.

The big announcement: On March 1, the NDA will launch a "national public data resources registration platform."

Some context: Public data is data generated by government departments and institutions in the course of performing public services.

• The state is hoping to make public data available to AI companies to use for model training.

More context: A "public data registration platform" is a site or app where government bodies can upload lists of public data they have available, effectively turning that data into a regulated product that can be shared or sold.

• Provinces like Zhejiang, Beijing, and Shanghai already have local-level registration platforms.

But the NDA's new platform will be a national-level effort, aiming to unify local-level platforms.

• According to the NDA's press release, the data sets on offer will be open to the general public to browse and acquire.

Our take: The state has been planning the rollout of such platforms for several years, long before the generative AI boom.

• But the excitement around DeepSeek and China's burgeoning AI industry has lit a fire under officials who are eager to ensure that AI innovators have the tools they need to thrive.