Support eligible resource-based cities in central and western regions to develop service outsourcing businesses related to cloud computing, supercomputing, intelligent computing, and artificial intelligence. These cities are encouraged to undertake domestic and international IT outsourcing and digital service transfers, exploring new pathways for digital transformation in resource-based cities.

On December 15, the Ministry of Commerce and five other departments issued the "Action Plan for Promoting High-Quality Development of Service Outsourcing." The plan aims to cultivate a group of internationally competitive service outsourcing leaders by 2030 and establish clusters with strong innovation capabilities and distinctive industrial advantages. The initiative seeks to enhance the digital, intelligent, green, and integrated development of service outsourcing while significantly increasing employment opportunities.

Service outsourcing is positioned as a key component in innovating and upgrading service trade and digital trade. The plan encourages fostering leading enterprises with strong international competitiveness and small-to-medium-sized firms with unique advantages, guiding them to expand into emerging sectors and participate in global industrial collaboration. Leading companies are supported in leveraging their outsourcing channels and brand standards to help smaller firms compete internationally.

IT outsourcing firms will be empowered to drive digital transformation in manufacturing. Over the next three years, a group of leading service outsourcing enterprises will be cultivated nationwide, with policy support favoring these leaders. Local governments are instructed to simplify funding procedures while ensuring financial security to bolster service outsourcing development.

The plan emphasizes high-quality development in model cities. These cities are encouraged to align with regional and urban development strategies, leveraging their geographical advantages, resources, and industrial foundations to define their service outsourcing roles. Key tasks include setting development goals, identifying priority projects, and expanding application scenarios to foster a thriving ecosystem.

Eastern model cities are urged to capitalize on their high-end resource concentration to become global hubs for service outsourcing. Meanwhile, central, western, and northeastern model cities should expand their niche outsourcing sectors, attracting both offshore and onshore outsourcing transfers to stimulate coordinated regional growth.

The initiative also promotes digital trade industrial clusters. Regions with suitable conditions are supported in establishing internationally recognized data security and privacy protection mechanisms, integrating digital and real economies, and building digital trade hubs. Efforts will focus on optimizing the digital business environment, strengthening industrial capabilities, and developing international data services.

Additionally, the plan explores establishing overseas data storage, processing, and trading industry chains to accelerate new digital trade models and cultivate new growth drivers in foreign trade.

Related link: Notice on the Issuance of the "Action Plan for Promoting High-Quality Development of Service Outsourcing" by Six Ministries Including the Ministry of Commerce.