Abstract

The rapid development of the digitalization of society brings both opportunities and challenges for national statistical offices (NSOs). On one hand, the application of modern information technologies provides NSOs with valuable data resources, bringing new possibilities for technical methods as well as new releasing channels for us. On the other hand, the public’s demand for official data is rising in both quantity and quality, therefore, NSOs face more competition from a growing number of data providers. To address these challenges, the National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBS) has undertaken a series of explorations and implemented many innovative practices in recent years, such as remote sensing application, digital economy accounting, statistical cloud programs, and the application of e-commerce data in retail sales statistics. The experiences of China will hopefully be of benefit to the NSOs of the other countries. The National Bureau of Statistics of China is willing to work with other countries to jointly embrace opportunities and challenges, and contribute wisdom to strengthening the statistical capacity building of national statistical institutions in the digital era.