On 25 January 2024, the China-UK Digital Economy Cooperation Regional Dialogue - Data access and development roundtable took place in WASU Digital Television Park, Hangzhou.

This roundtable was co-hosted by Centre for International Economic and Technological Cooperation under MIIT (CIETC) and China-British Business Council (CBBC), and co-organized by China-UK Digital Economy Cooperation Group under the China-UK Industrial Cooperation Partnership and Zhejiang Electronic Information Products Inspection and Research Institute.

Attending this roundtable include experts and representatives from the British Consulate-General in Shanghai, RELX, Fudan University, Shanghai Data Exchange, Experian, KPMG, Llinks Law, BSI and DAS-security.

The first UK-China Industrial Cooperation Dialogue ICD was held on 9th June 2022 between the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and the UK Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

The dialogue focused on UK-China cooperation in areas such as digital economy, accelerating new energy vehicle development and advanced manufacture. Both sides recognised the Industrial Cooperation Dialogue as an important mechanism to enhance regulatory exchange and strengthen commercial collaboration. The China-UK Digital Economy Cooperation Group under the China-UK Industrial Cooperation Partnership was formed within this framework.

China and the UK have placed a high priority on the creation of a digital economy that uses data as a vital component in recent years. The three-year Action Plan "Data Elements ×" (2024–2026), which aims to fully utilize the multiplier effect of data elements and empower economic and social development, was jointly released in December 2023 by the National Bureau of Data and 17 other departments. The UK Digital Strategy, which aims to use digital transformation to create a more innovative, competitive, and inclusive digital economy, has been updated and republished by the UK government.

We invited professionals from industry, government, and academia to participate in talks and presentations to share their knowledge and insights. Overseeing this roundtable was RELX's Stella Guo who is also the secretary general of the China-UK Digital Economy Cooperation Group.