Alibaba taken on board as Zhuhai digitizes gov't

A digital government comprising communication and information technologies developed by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group will bring more "intelligent" services to residents of Zhuhai.

Alibaba payment affiliate Ant Financial Service Group will assist in the process now that Vice Mayor Lu Xiaofeng and Alibaba veep, Tao Xuefei, agreed to the strategic partnership framework on March 30. The signing took place at Zhuhai Holiday Resort Hotel.

Signing ceremony [Photo courtesy zhsswj.gov.cn]

Targeted are cloud computing, internet finance, and e-commerce. Alibaba Cloud (Aliyun), which develops cloud computing and data management, will bolster Zhuhai's competitiveness in the sector, which also includes big-data processing. The technology will be applied in urban management, industrial optimization, auxiliary medical service, environmental governance, and transit dispatch to make better decisions and effective use of resources.

The plan is to increase accessibility to Alipay, a popular system operated by Ant Financial. Such public services as healthcare, social security, accumulation funds, transportation, travel, and credit will become more convenient. Meanwhile, inquiry, payment of fees, and other business items can be accomplished in one step.

The development will rely on the wealth of online user resources and cutting-edge technology of the largest domestic online payment platform. Design and functionality will be tailored to specific government departments by the company's technical support unit, with the concerns of users being taken into account.

Improved digital service and information delivery will help build a digital government in Guangdong Province, serving as an example for other cities, according to a spokesperson with the Alibaba Public Affairs Department South China region.

Also envisioned is an improved industrial internet for Zhuhai, with more enterprises learning how to deal with massive amounts of data.

Yet another priority is a comprehensive industry chain service for foreign trade. Alibaba.com -- the world's largest online business-to-business trading company for small businesses, and onetouch.alibaba.com, a comprehensive online foreign trade service platform -- will be involved in the process. An array of new-model foreign trade enterprises will be nurtured through collaboration in terms of financing, logistics, e-commerce, and talent cultivation.

Cainiao Network Technology, Alibaba's logistics offshoot, will play a large role in the creation of a Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Intelligent Logistics Industrial Base in Zhuhai. The endeavor will facilitate cross-border e-commerce and intelligent logistics services following the latest retail trends, according to the spokesperson.