China's Seven Ministries Launch Platform Economy Initiative to Promote SME Development Through AI and Data Sharing

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, along with six other government departments, jointly issued the "Action Plan for Promoting Coordinated Development of Large, Medium and Small Enterprises in the Platform Economy (2026–2028)" on June 18, 2026. The comprehensive initiative aims to foster cooperation between platform enterprises and small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through infrastructure modernization and resource optimization.

A key pillar of the plan involves opening computing power resources to improve efficiency. The government will promote computing power resource sharing through interconnection and pooling operations, guiding platform enterprises to link distributed computing resources and regulated platforms to enhance allocation efficiency. The plan also calls for building a national unified computing power monitoring and dispatch service platform. Additionally, platform enterprises are encouraged to enhance their token service capabilities for SMEs, optimize AI agent services to reduce adoption barriers, and accelerate research breakthroughs in advanced chips, next-generation operating systems, and intelligent terminals.

The initiative emphasizes data element utilization by encouraging platform enterprises to explore data resource sharing and circulation models. Companies are tasked with developing high-quality industry datasets and establishing chief data officer positions to improve data management capabilities. The plan supports collaborative data governance standards compliance across supply chains.

Regulatory improvements form another critical component. The action plan deepens algorithm and traffic governance by promoting algorithm transparency and establishing fair platform rules. Platform enterprises are directed to optimize pricing structures and reduce costs for SMEs through fee reductions, cooperative rule improvements, and elimination of monopolistic practices. The government also mandates protection of e-commerce ecosystems through stricter oversight of counterfeit products and improved product quality monitoring.

Innovation collaboration is encouraged through multiple mechanisms: supporting platform enterprises in establishing innovation investment growth mechanisms, facilitating partnerships between platforms and SMEs with research institutions, and enabling SMEs to participate in national technology projects. The plan also introduces "task posting and undertaking" models where platform enterprises post technical challenges for SMEs to address, promoting specialization in advanced technologies.