BEIJING -- China has now built the world's largest and technologically advanced optical fiber and mobile communications network, Industry and Information Technology Minister Jin Zhuanglong said Thursday.

The scale of China's data centers has increased at an average annual growth rate of nearly 30 percent over the past five years, Jin said at a forum on China-Africa digital cooperation.

In recent years, China has accelerated the integration of digital technology and the real economy. New business models such as e-commerce, telemedicine and digital agriculture are developing vigorously, injecting new impetus into economic growth.

International cooperation in the digital field continues to deepen. China has signed memorandums of cooperation in this field with more than 10 African countries, according to data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The ministry will further strengthen exchanges with African countries in the digital field, jointly build digital development capabilities, and tap cooperation potential in accordance with market principles.