China’s policymakers are increasingly lauding online platforms as an important driver of consumption and job creation, in another sign of the government’s shifting attitude towards the sector.
Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing called on tech platforms to play a leading role in driving innovation, boosting consumption and stabilising employment during a recent inspection tour, while Premier Li Qiang pledged greater support for the platform economy during a State Council meeting in November.
“The platform economy could enhance the efficiency of social resource allocation and cultivate new quality productive forces,” Zhang was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua News Agency on Tuesday.
China’s platform economy covers a wide range of industries that generate hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue every year, from e-commerce and social media to ride-hailing and food delivery.
The sector provides jobs to more than 200 million flexible workers, Xinhua News Agency reported.
