China plans to launch a new round of a three-year action plan during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) to boost the development and application of data as a production factor, aiming to build an integrated national data market that is open, shared and secure, an official with the National Data Administration (NDA) said Tuesday.
China has been stepping up efforts to develop its data market in recent years. In 2020, the country listed data as a new type of production factor, alongside traditional factors such as land, labor, capital and technology, highlighting its growing role in driving economic growth and digital transformation.
The first round of the plan, introduced in 2023 and covering 2024-2026, seeks to broaden and deepen data applications across key sectors, foster new industries, business models and growth drivers, and unlock data's multiplier effect in supporting high-quality development.
"We will accelerate the formulation of top-level documents for the integrated national data market, improve trading rules and standards for data circulation, cultivate specialized data circulation service agencies, and encourage market-based data pricing and benefit distribution mechanisms so that all parties involved in data supply, processing, development and utilization can obtain reasonable returns," said Luan Jie, director of the Department of Policy and Planning of the NDA.
"We will work with relevant departments to plan and implement a new round of the three-year action plan to boost the development and application of data as a production factor, study and formulate guidelines for data circulation and utilization in key industries, remove bottlenecks across the entire chain, and build a closed loop for unlocking the value of data elements," she said.
The NDA, established in October 2023, is responsible for advancing Digital China, the digital economy and a digital society, as well as building basic data systems and coordinating data resource integration, sharing, development and application.
China to launch new three-year action plan on data elements: NDA
Thai exporters are leveraging this year's China International Import Expo (CIIE) to seek new opportunities in China as innovation and shifting consumer demand reshape how Thailand's traditional agricultural products are grown, produced and brought to market.
For generations, families in Thailand have made a living from coconut palms, harvesting the fruit by hand and shipping it far beyond the orchards where it is grown.
Natthasak Manusrungsri's family has been exporting aromatic coconuts for more than two decades. But growing demand from China has transformed the scale of their business, driving production, expanding exports and inspiring new ways to bring this familiar fruit to consumers.
"Almost every factory that packs fresh coconuts depends on China as its main market, almost entirely. After Thailand received permission to export coconuts to China, volumes kept rising, driven by trends and by customers becoming more knowledgeable and health-conscious," said Natthasak Manusrungsri, managing director of K-Fresh Co.
But as demand grows, so does the pressure to innovate. Generations of agricultural knowledge are meeting a new generation of ideas.
For Thai producers, China offers enormous opportunities, but competition is intensifying. As consumer preferences change, exporters are shifting their focus beyond simply increasing sales to developing innovative products that offer greater convenience and bring more value to an increasingly competitive industry.
That transformation begins long before the coconuts leave the trees. Across a network of plantations, precision agriculture is helping farmers monitor growing conditions, identify problem areas, and improve yields, while maintaining the quality of Thailand's renowned coconuts.
Inside the factory, innovation takes a different form. Even the simple act of opening a coconut has been redesigned. A patented mechanism allows consumers to open it with a push.
"Innovation matters for both the farm and production, so we can deliver the highest quality to our customers. So, we practice precision agriculture. And in the factory, we focus on innovation to make it easier for consumers to open and enjoy, bringing quality products to consumers around the world and in China," said Manusrungsri.
For the farmers who tend these palms, the rhythm of life remains much as it has for generations. But beyond the orchards, almost everything else is changing.
And at CIIE 2026, Thailand's humble coconut is showing how an age-old harvest can find new value in a world of changing tastes and possibilities.
Thai coconut exporter taps CIIE to promote industry innovation
