AsianFin -- Zhang Xianghong, a professor at Beijing Jiaotong University, argued that the next 30 years of global growth will rely on building “National Data Infrastructure” to mirror the role of national information infrastructure in the rise of companies like Microsoft and Apple.
That shift, he said, requires both advances in hard infrastructure such as networks and computing, and leadership in “soft” frameworks including algorithms, standards, and data governance.
Zhang made the remarks at Ant Group’s third anniversary event for its “Trusted Privacy Computing Open Source Community”, where he pointed out the challenges in embodied intelligence and humanoid robots, noting that general-purpose robots require vast, diverse datasets to handle real-world scenarios. “The biggest issue isn’t algorithms—it’s the lack of enough usable data,” he said.
Ant Group used the event to announce an expansion of its initiative, rebranding the platform as the “YinYu · Trusted Data Circulation Technology Community.” The upgraded community will span six technology tracks, including privacy computing, trusted data spaces, blockchain, and data internet, aiming to build open-source standards and real-world applications for industries such as finance, healthcare, and urban governance.
Wei Tao, Ant Group’s vice president and chief technology security officer, underscored the role of open-source in accelerating the global digital economy. Since 2016, Ant has invested heavily in privacy computing, filing more than 1,700 patents—ranking first globally—and contributing to over 80 standards worldwide. Its “YinYu” framework has already attracted 20,000 developers, 60 research institutions, and 70 industry partners.
China is positioning data as the next major driver of productivity in the artificial intelligence era, with officials and industry leaders pointing to rapid progress in both infrastructure and commercial adoption.
Liu Liehong, director of the National Data Administration, said China’s total computing power now ranks second globally at a State Council press conference on Wednesday. As of 2024, the country hosts more than 400,000 data-related enterprises and a data industry worth 5.86 trillion yuan ($808 billion)—up 117% from five years ago. Transactions in China’s national data market are expected to exceed 160 billion yuan this year, rising more than 30% year-on-year.
Privacy-preserving computing is emerging as one of the sector’s fastest-growing areas. According to IDC, China’s privacy computing platforms reached 980 million yuan in market size in 2024, up 10.1% from last year.
IDC analysts say generative AI and China’s push to commercialize “data elements” are fueling a new cycle of growth in privacy computing. Vendors are shifting from software sales toward results-based models that share in data-driven revenue, turning privacy computing from a compliance tool into what IDC calls an “intelligent connector” for the broader data economy.
Wei Tao said Ant Group’s confidential computing hub is already in use internally across more than a dozen business units, ensuring secure and compliant data sharing. The company expects growing enterprise adoption of “trusted data spaces” as regulatory frameworks mature.
“Privacy and data security are no longer just safeguards—they’re enablers of economic growth,” Wei said, adding that Ant will continue to open-source its core technologies to lower costs, enhance interoperability, and drive adoption across key industries.
Shares of Ant Group are privately held, but the company’s investments in data security and AI infrastructure align with Beijing’s broader ambition to build global leadership in the digital economy.
