Development background and challenges of new infrastructure.
The COVID-19 epidemic has not only impacted the domestic industrial chain, but also put forward higher requirements for the reconstruction of the global industrial chain. From the domestic situation, China is faced with such problems as how to deal with the downward pressure of economy, how to restore the normal operation of industrial chain and supply chain as soon as possible, and how to improve consumer demand. At this time, it is proposed to develop new infrastructure on a large scale, which can meet the needs of domestic digital economy, rail transit and other industries during the epidemic period, so that the new infrastructure can act on the formed industrial chain and improve quality and efficiency from the supply side.
From the international situation, intelligent development is an inevitable requirement for China industry to climb to the top of the global value chain. Sino-US trade conflict and global industrial chain reconstruction require us to build new infrastructure. Only by accelerating the construction of 5G base stations can we win opportunities and confidence in cooperation with more countries, strengthen the layout of digital economy infrastructure, and provide strong hardware support for China to participate in international competition. From the analysis of the situation at home and abroad, it is not difficult to draw a conclusion that the biggest opportunity for the development of new infrastructure at present is to actively participate in the reconstruction of global industrial chain and build a new pattern of domestic and international dual-cycle development, while the biggest challenge is how to enhance China's ability to resist risks.
Influence of new infrastructure on urban development
Undoubtedly, the development and promotion of new infrastructure must include opportunities. As a new kinetic energy to stimulate economic growth under the background of epidemic situation, new infrastructure has been favored by most cities in China. According to incomplete statistics, 25 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities explicitly mentioned new infrastructure in this year's government work report. Urban agglomeration has always been an important engine of economic growth in China, and it is also the best choice for new infrastructure investment and development. For example, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta and Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle were selected as the first batch of pilot cities for 5G infrastructure, accounting for half of the country. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration has obvious advantages in the development of artificial intelligence because of its early industrial layout; The eastern region has become the main gathering place for public charging piles; Supported by the Yangtze River Delta integration strategy and digital means, the layout of high-speed rail and urban rail is ahead of schedule.
The extensive promotion of new infrastructure provides a new direction for urban development to seek the most suitable development path on the basis of the original industry. Taking Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle as an example, Sichuan actively promotes digital industrialization and industrial digitalization, and guides the deep integration of digital economy and real economy. Chengdu proposes to build new infrastructure such as basic information network (5G and data center construction) and smart energy network (UHV and new energy vehicle charging pile). Chongqing High-tech Zone is guided by new infrastructure projects such as big data center, artificial intelligence and urban rail transit, and promotes its integration into the "Twin Cities Economic Circle". It can be seen that the development of new infrastructure is conducive to the optimal layout of inter-city industries and promotes the reconstruction and upgrading of urban industrial chain and supply chain.
What are the "new" aspects of the new infrastructure?
I think the "newness" of new infrastructure mainly highlights two points: first, explore new growth points of infrastructure from traditional infrastructure, such as smart transportation; Second, it is closely connected with emerging industries such as 5G, artificial intelligence and big data centers. Taking the construction of 5G base stations as an example, the industrial chain driven by the construction of base stations can largely cope with the problems of underemployment and overcapacity caused by the current epidemic. From related enterprises with optimized planning and construction to equipment and materials providers such as networks, optical devices and RF antennas, and finally to the three major operators, they will all benefit from the construction of 5G base stations. Especially for enterprises that provide materials needed for 5G construction, it can not only solve the problem of poor sales of epidemic materials at present, but also avoid losses and layoffs of manufacturers.
Related enterprises are welcoming development opportunities.
What changes will happen to citizens' lives?
In fact, in the previous epidemic, the application of new infrastructure has entered the public's field of vision, such as the 5G ultra-HD live broadcast in the Spring Festival Evening, the 36-hour 5G signal coverage and live broadcast during the construction of Raytheon Mountain and Vulcan Mountain, and the remote office, online education and non-contact power distribution derived from people's home isolation, which are closely related to people's lives. Take people's behavior after returning to work as an example. With the development of intercity high-speed rail and urban rail transit, people can easily integrate into the surrounding urban life circle within 1 hour or even half an hour.
Residents living in Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle have personal experience. Most residents who work in Chengdu rely on commuting tools such as subway and light rail to travel. At present, there are 8 rail transit lines and 8 subway lines under construction in Chengdu. More and more districts and counties are included in the cross network of Chengdu subway. Relying on Chengdu-Chongqing high-speed railway, the polar cities in the circle can communicate 1 hour and a half, while the intercity high-speed railway represented by Chengdu-Chongqing high-speed railway is directly connected to the central area of Chongqing, speeding up planning and construction. It is expected that construction will officially start at the end of this year, when the two places will achieve 1 hour access.
(The author is a professor at the Department of International Economics and Trade, School of Economics, Sichuan University)