An aerial view of the Alibaba Digital Innovation Ecology Park in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo/IC]

The World Data Organization was established in Beijing on March 30, creating a new platform for international data cooperation that Zhejiang sees as relevant to its digital economy and artificial intelligence industries.

Zhou Yu, general manager of Hangzhou Data Group, attended the inaugural meeting and said the organization has more than 200 members from over 40 countries.

Zhou said the initiative comes as AI is increasing the importance of high-quality data. As large models scale up, general public internet data is becoming insufficient, raising demand for industry and specialized datasets. He said the organization is expected to help address differences in national data rules by promoting standards, best practices, and lower compliance costs for cross-border use.

Cross-border data flows have been a focus in Zhejiang in recent years. On March 17, 2025, the China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone launched a cross-border data service center. In April, the country's first cross-border transaction involving data intellectual property was completed in the province, with seven battery additive datasets from a Hangzhou company transferred securely to a South Korean buyer through encrypted digital credentials.

For Zhejiang, one of China's leading digital economy provinces, the significance of the new organization will depend on whether it can help make such transactions more routine and predictable. That would be relevant as the province expands artificial intelligence and other data-intensive industries that rely on compliant access to high-quality data.