President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message on Monday to mark the inauguration of the World Data Organization, highlighting China's commitment to supporting the newly established organization in playing its due role in serving the healthy development of the global digital economy.

Xi's message came as the WDO held its inaugural assembly in Beijing on Monday.

He said in the message that today's world is rapidly entering an intelligent era, with data's role as a fundamental resource and an engine of innovation becoming increasingly evident.

The WDO, whose mission is to bridge the data divide, unlock data's value and power the digital economy, provides a platform conducive to deepening international cooperation on data and improving global data governance, he said.

Xi emphasized that China is committed to upholding the principles of extensive consultation and joint contribution with benefits shared by all, as well as to supporting the WDO in playing its role.

China will work with all parties to build consensus on data governance rules, promote innovation in digital and intelligent technologies, and facilitate the secure, orderly flow and efficient development and utilization of data in order to serve the healthy development of the global digital economy and ensure that the dividends of data better benefit the people of all countries, he said.

Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang read out Xi's congratulatory message at the meeting and delivered a keynote speech. He said that China places great importance on data governance and the development of the digital economy.

The country will further advance the construction of a digital China, deepen the development and utilization of data resources, accelerate digital technology innovation, and actively expand application scenarios, injecting strong momentum into the prosperous development of the global digital economy, Ding said.

Based in Beijing, the WDO is billed as the first international professional body focused on advancing data development and governance practices.

During Monday's meeting, members reviewed and adopted the WDO's charter and elected its first council members and board of supervisors.

The organization's inauguration comes at a time when data has become a core economic asset, but regulatory divergence — from privacy rules to localization requirements — has raised compliance costs and complicated operations for companies globally.

A central function of the WDO will be to break down such barriers by fostering industry consensus, proposing standards and best practices, and providing policy references for governments and research institutions, the organization said.

The organizing committee of the WDO told China Daily that, as of March 15, the WDO had attracted 233 members, including 70 founding participants, from companies, universities, think tanks, international organizations and financial institutions across 14 industries.

Corporate members account for 67 percent of the total, including multinationals and their China subsidiaries, such as Tesla Shanghai, Intel China and data-focused companies such as Dun & Bradstreet China. Chinese AI enterprises including iFlytek, Zhipu AI, and Moonshot AI, as well as Tencent Cloud, JD and Meituan, were among the corporate members.

Rong Ke, director of the Institute of Economics at Tsinghua University's School of Social Sciences, told China Daily that the WDO is not designed to create a parallel rule book, but to serve as a platform for global data cooperation.

"It allows rules to be discussed, technologies to connect, projects to be implemented and capabilities to be shared. It would complement, rather than compete with, existing global bodies by moving beyond rule discussions toward aligning standards, enabling real-world applications and expanding access to data-driven growth," he said.

Data is increasingly seen as a driver of industrial upgrading and economic growth. In China, the output of core digital economy industries exceeded 10.5 percent of GDP in 2025.

Jack Perry, chairman of the UK-based 48 Group, a member of the WDO, said that data flows across borders but can also create divisions if left uncoordinated. "Data has no borders — it moves in the cloud — but it can also become a source of fragmentation," he said. "What I see is China trying to address this and find ways to make the benefits of the digital economy more inclusive."