Zhejiang province approves China’s first local law focusing on the digital economy

The legislation was hailed by tech leaders as a milestone for the ‘governing the digital industry according to the law’. Zhejiang’s new regulations come amid a countrywide focus on data and digital infrastructure. — SCMP

Legislators in China’s eastern Zhejiang province, home to tech giants like Alibaba Group Holding and NetEase, have introduced regulations dedicated to the development of the digital economy in the first such regional law for the burgeoning industry.

Titled “Regulations of Zhejiang Province on Promoting Digital Economy”, the document lays out guidelines for the development of data sharing, digital infrastructure and the digitalisation of its industries. The law, which takes effect in March 2021, also clarifies how city governments in Zhejiang should handle data collected by city-level administrative agencies.