An Examination of the Global Digital Divide in the 21st Century and the Chinese Solution

With the development of digital technology, capitalism has entered the era of digital capitalism. Dan Schiller argues that the typical characteristic of the era of digital capitalism is that “information networks penetrate every aspect of capitalist economy and culture in an unprecedented manner and scale, becoming an indispensable tool and driving force for capitalist development.” The birth of digital capitalism has given rise to some new problems, such as the digital divide. Strictly speaking, the digital divide can be divided into the first digital divides, the second digital divides, and the third digital divides. The first digital divide mainly refers to differences in access to information and communication technology (ICT), that is, whether people can obtain ICT. J. M. Spectar believes that “the digital divide is the difference or separation between those who can obtain the basic tools of the information society and those who cannot.” The second digital divide mainly refers to differences in the ways ICT is used, including differences in autonomy of use, relevant skills, social support, and the purpose of using the technology. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) proposes that the digital divide is “the gap between individuals, households, businesses and geographic areas at different socio-economic levels with regard to both opportunities to access information and communication technologies (ICTs) and to their use of the Internet for a wide variety of activities.” The third digital divide mainly refers to the inequality caused by the beneficial results of Internet use and its aftermath. Frederick J. Riggins and Sanjeev Dewan point out that the digital divide is a phenomenon of polarization, such as information gaps, knowledge isolation, and the gap between rich and poor, caused by different degrees of possession and application of digital information and network communication technologies in the process of globalization of the digital economy. The three digital divides exhibit a progressive relationship. The digital divide referred to in this article is mainly the third digital divide. The digital divide exacerbates the gap between developed countries and developing and least developed countries. Building a “Digital Silk Road” is the Chinese solution to bridging the digital divide and is conducive to promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind in the digital era.

随着数字技术的发展，资本主义进入数字资本主义时代。丹·席勒(Dan Schiller) 认为，数字资本主义时代的典型特征是“信息网络以一种前所未有的方式与规模渗透到资本主义经济文化的方方面面，成为资本主义发展不可缺少的工具与动力”。数字资本主义的诞生引发了一些新的问题，如数字鸿沟。从严格意义上讲，数字鸿沟可以分为第一道数字鸿沟（first digital divides）、第二道数字鸿沟（second digital divides）和第三道数字鸿沟（third digital divides），第一道数字鸿沟主要指获取信息通信技术（Information and communication technology, 简称 ICT）的差异，即人们是否能够获取信息通信技术，J.M.斯拜德（J.M.Spectar）认为，“数字鸿沟是能够获得信息社会基本工具的人与无法获得这种工具的人之间的差别或隔离”；第二道数字鸿沟主要指ICT使用的不同方式等存在的差异，即关于使用的自主性、相关技能、社会支持和使用该技术的目的不同，经济合作与发展组织（Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, OCED）提出，数字鸿沟是“不同社会经济层面的个人、家庭、企业和地理区域，在获取信息和通信技术以及在各种活动中利用互联网的机会及其使用方面的差距”；第三道数字鸿沟主要指由互联网使用的有益结果及其使用后引起的不平等，里金斯（Frederick.J.Riggins）与得万（Sanjeev Dewan）指出，数字鸿沟是在数字经济全球化进程中，由于拥有和应用数字化信息与网络通信技术程度不同所造成的信息落差、知识隔离以及贫富差距等两极分化现象。三道数字鸿沟之间呈现层层递进关系，本文所指的数字鸿沟主要是第三道数字鸿沟。数字鸿沟加剧了发达国家与发展中国家及最不发达国家之间的贫富差距，构建“数字丝绸之路”是破解数字鸿沟的中国方案，有利于推动数字时代人类命运共同体的构建。

I. The Real Conditions for the Emergence of the Digital Divide

一、数字鸿沟生成的现实条件

The digital divide is a product of the digital era. It is generated in the soil of digital capitalism, spreads under neoliberal policies, and is ultimately formed under the dominance of the digital hegemony of Western developed capitalist countries.

数字鸿沟是数字时代的产物，它在数字资本主义的土壤里生成，在新自由主义政策中蔓延，在西方发达资本主义国家数字霸权的主导下最终形成。

(A) Digital Capitalism as the Historical Background for the Emergence of the Digital Divide

（一）数字资本主义是数字鸿沟生成的时代背景

People have different views on the consequences of the emergence of digital capitalism. Optimists believe that the internet bathes the world in information and advocate for a “frictionless capitalist world.” Realists, however, believe that “the digital era has merely modernized the contradictions of capitalism.” It must be recognized that digital capitalism is only the latest form of development of capitalism in the digital era. It has not changed the exploitative nature of capitalism; on the contrary, it has created many new problems, such as the digital divide.

人们对数字资本主义出现的后果有不同看法。乐观派认为，网络让世界沐浴在信息之中，并且主张促成“没有摩擦的资本主义世界”；而理智派认为，“数字化时代只不过是让资本主义的矛盾完成了现代化而已”。必须认识到，数字资本主义只是资本主义在数字时代的最新发展形式，其并没有改变资本主义的剥削本质，反而制造了许多新问题，如数字鸿沟。

Digital capitalism is the prerequisite for the emergence of the digital divide. In the stage of digital capitalism, due to differences in the state of productive forces, economic levels, etc., between countries, the development of their digital economies also differs. Capitalist countries led by the United States hold a first-mover advantage, rapidly expanding their territory in the digital world and taking the lead in achieving transformations such as economic digitalization, technological digitalization, and financial digitalization. In contrast, the vast majority of developing and least developed countries lack this first-mover advantage, and their digital economy and digital industry development are slow. The digital divide, which has emerged and widened in the era of digital capitalism, has become one of the main problems currently facing humanity.

数字资本主义是数字鸿沟生成的前提。在数字资本主义阶段，由于国家之间生产力状况、经济水平等不同，导致其数字经济的发展也存在差异，以美国为首的资本主义国家占据先发优势，迅速拓展其在数字世界的领地，率先实现了经济数字化、科技数字化、金融数字化等转变；而广大发展中国家和最不发达国家不具备先发优势，其数字经济与数字化产业发展缓慢。数字资本主义时代出现并扩大的数字鸿沟，成为当前人类面临的主要问题之一。

The emergence of the digital divide is an inevitable product of the development of digital capitalism. The profit-driven nature of capitalism determines that it inevitably takes the pursuit of surplus value as its fundamental goal. While promoting the accumulation of domestic digital capital, developed countries also accelerate the export of foreign digital capital, including the export of digital commodities such as digital infrastructure, digital technology, and digital services. As tools for the valorization of digital capital, digital commodities are increasingly becoming part of digital capital itself. The continuous export of digital capital by developed countries is essentially a form of control exercised by digital capital-exporting countries over the digital industries of digital capital-importing countries, further widening the technological gap between the two sides and deepening the digital divide.

数字鸿沟的生成是数字资本主义发展的必然产物。资本主义逐利本性决定了它必然以追求剩余价值为根本目标，在推动本国数字资本积累的同时，发达国家也加快对外数字资本输出，其中包括数字基础设施、数字技术、数字服务等数字商品输出。作为数字资本增殖的工具，数字商品也日益成为数字资本的一部分。发达国家不断地进行数字资本输出，其实质是数字资本输出国对数字资本输入国在数字行业上的控制，进一步拉大了双方在数字技术方面的差距，加深了数字鸿沟。

(B) Neoliberal Policies Have Fueled the Spread of the Digital Divide

（二）新自由主义政策助长了数字鸿沟的蔓延

In the late 1970s, capitalist countries successively experienced a “stagflation” crisis. Keynesianism could not solve this problem, and the “welfare state” policy subsequently collapsed, leading to the resurgence of neoliberal thought. Neoliberal thought, led by Hayek, advocates for a return to classical liberalism, promotes a laissez-faire market economy, opposes excessive state intervention in economic development, champions individualism, and strongly advocates for privatization. Neoliberal thought holds that freedom is a prerequisite for efficiency, and excessive constraints will hinder social development. At the same time, it also advocates for global integration led by superpowers, i.e., global capitalization, and promotes alignment with superpowers in economic, political, and cultural aspects. Consequently, Western developed countries successively introduced neoliberal policies, vigorously promoting marketization, liberalization, and privatization, and facilitating the comprehensive development of the market economy. Liberalization policies “were the opportunity for the rapid development of digital capitalism.” “Starting from the 1970s, industries such as computers and software received substantial policy preferences from capitalist countries,” and “these enterprises bore almost no social welfare responsibilities, and the scope of government regulation over them was very limited.” Under the influence of neoliberal policies, Western developed capitalist countries, led by the United States, seized the initiative and achieved significant development in digital capitalism. For example, the U.S. telecommunications industry, influenced by neoliberal policies, saw “government policymakers create various opportunities for investment in information processing equipment and software.” Capital poured into the telecommunications market, continuously upgrading hardware equipment and software services in the telecommunications industry. Driven by the market economy, the U.S. telecommunications industry formed a first-mover advantage worldwide. It can be said that the entire digital industry was influenced by neoliberal thought and policies, and the United States opportunistically extended its capital power into the digital domain. At the same time, under the leadership of the United States, developed capitalist countries formulated corresponding international policies and rules to promote the global expansion of digital capital. While engaging in domestic digital capital accumulation, they also used the export of digital capital to exchange non-core technologies for the core interests of developing and least developed countries, fueling the spread of the digital divide.

20世纪70年代末，资本主义国家相继出现“滞胀”危机，凯恩斯主义无法解决这一问题，“福利国家”政策随之破产，新自由主义思想（Neo-liberalism）再次兴盛。新自由主义思想以哈耶克为主导，主张恢复古典自由主义，提倡自由放任的市场经济，反对国家过多干预经济发展，倡导个人主义，极力主张私有化。新自由主义思想认为，自由是效率的前提，过多的束缚反而会阻碍社会发展，同时，也鼓吹以超级大国为主导的全球一体化，即全球资本主义化，主张在经济、政治和文化等方面都向超级大国靠拢。于是，西方发达国家相继推出新自由主义政策，大力推动市场化、自由化、私有化，促成市场经济的全面发展。自由化政策“是数字资本主义得以快速发展的契机”，“从1970 年代开始，计算机、软件等信息科技行业便获得资本主义国家大量的政策优待”，“这些企业几乎不承担任何社会福利责任，政府对其管制的范围十分有限”。在新自由主义政策的影响下，以美国为首的西方发达资本主义国家抢占先机，在数字资本主义方面取得较大发展。如美国的电信业受新自由主义政策影响，“政府决策制定者创造了对信息处理设备与软件进行投资的各种机遇”，资本纷纷进入电信市场，不断升级电信行业的硬件设备与软件服务，在市场经济的驱动下，美国电信业在世界范围内形成了先发优势。可以说，整个数字行业都受到了新自由主义思想和政策的影响，美国顺势将资本权力扩展到了数字领域。同时，在美国主导下，发达资本主义国家制定了相应的国际政策与规则，推动数字资本的全球扩张，在进行国内数字资本积累的同时，通过数字资本输出的方式，以非核心技术来换取发展中国家和最不发达国家的核心利益，助长了数字鸿沟的蔓延。

(C) The Digital Divide Is an Inevitable Result of Digital Hegemony

（三）数字鸿沟是数字霸权的必然结果

Western capitalist countries, led by the United States, have gradually formed a digital hegemony by virtue of their advantages in digital technology. The digital divide is an inevitable result of the implementation of digital hegemony.

以美国为首的西方资本主义国家，凭借在数字技术方面的优势，逐渐形成了数字霸权，数字鸿沟是推行数字霸权的必然结果。

Digital hegemony refers to “those countries that possess a monopolistic position and advantages in the field of digital technology, using this advantage to hinder, restrict, suppress, and undermine other countries’ independent development and free use of information, and even to impose their own values, ideology, etc., on other countries, in order to seek hegemonic interests that are difficult to obtain through political and military means.” [7]7 The “four-in-one” hegemony refers to the comprehensive dominance of the United States across finance, technology, culture, and military affairs, a concept used in Chinese discourse to describe U.S. global power. After World War II, the United States, relying on its own advantages, established a “financial, technological, cultural, and military ‘four-in-one’ hegemony.” Among these, digital hegemony is a new hegemonic form of technological hegemony under digital capitalism. As of 2018, the United States possessed 172 data centers and 90 active internet exchange points, ranking first in the world in both categories. It can be said that other countries must rely on the digital power of the United States, which has thereby gained enormous benefits while also creating “digital deterrence.” Moreover, the United States also controls or restricts the development of other countries in the digital industry in order to safeguard its digital interests. In the early 1980s, Japan’s semiconductor industry developed rapidly, surpassing the United States to become the world’s largest chip supplier. The Reagan administration believed that Japan had stolen the intellectual property of U.S. companies and threatened U.S. national security. Consequently, in 1986, it forced Japan to sign the *U.S.-Japan Semiconductor Agreement* and the *Plaza Accord*, [8]8 The *Plaza Accord* (1985) was an agreement among major economies to depreciate the U.S. dollar relative to the yen and the Deutsche Mark; the *U.S.-Japan Semiconductor Agreement* (1986) forced Japan to open its semiconductor market and limit exports. Both are seen as measures that contributed to Japan’s economic stagnation in the 1990s. and to open its domestic semiconductor market and appreciate the yen. Under this series of combined measures, Japan’s semiconductor industry gradually declined, while the United States achieved significant development in this field. In 2019, the United States imposed sanctions on Huawei, on the grounds that Huawei’s advanced 5G technology posed a major threat to the U.S. communications technology industry. The United States used various means to suppress Chinese high-tech enterprises, striving to consolidate its digital hegemonic position.

数字霸权，即“那些在数字化技术领域拥有垄断地位和优势的国家，利用这种优势来妨碍、限制、压制和破坏其他国家对信息的自主开发和自由利用，甚至把本国的价值观念、意识形态等强加于别国头上，以谋求政治军事手段等难以得到的霸权利益”。二战后美国凭借自身优势建立了“金融、科技、文化和军事‘四位一体’的霸权”。其中，数字霸权是科技霸权在数字资本主义下的新霸权形态。截至2018年，美国拥有数据中心172座，活跃的互联网交换中心 90个，均居世界第一。可以说，其他国家都要依靠美国的数字力量，美国籍此获得了巨大收益，同时也形成了“数字威慑”。不仅如此，美国还控制或限制其他国家在数字产业方面的发展，以维护其数字利益。20世纪80年代初，日本的半导体产业发展迅速，一举超过美国成为全球最大的芯片供应商，里根政府认为日本盗窃了美国公司的知识产权，并威胁到美国的国家安全，于是在1986年强迫日本签订《日美半导体保证协定》和《广场协议》，并开放国内半导体市场以及迫使日元升值。在一系列组合拳下，日本半导体产业逐渐衰落，而美国在该领域却得到了很大发展。2019年，美国对华为实行制裁，其原因是华为先进的5G技术等对美国通信技术行业造成了较大威胁，美国通过各种手段对中国高科技企业进行打压，力图巩固其数字霸权地位。

In short, developed capitalist countries, by leveraging their advantages in digital technology, seize digital markets in advance, thereby both extracting digital surplus value and consolidating their own digital hegemonic position, while achieving control over other countries. It can be said that digital hegemony inevitably leads to a further widening of the digital divide.

总之，发达资本主义国家借助在数字技术方面的优势，提前抢占数字市场，既获取了数字剩余价值，又巩固了自身数字霸权地位，并实现对其他国家的控制。可以说，数字霸权必然会造成数字鸿沟的进一步扩大。

II. A Multi-Dimensional Examination of the Digital Divide

二、数字鸿沟的多维视域审视

Based on the actual conditions under which the digital divide is generated, it is necessary to examine its classification and generative logic through a multi-dimensional perspective, to discover the governance dilemmas of the digital divide, and to explore effective paths for solving this problem.

基于数字鸿沟生成的现实条件，有必要通过多维视域审视其分类与生成逻辑，发现数字鸿沟的治理困境，并探索解决这一问题的有效路径。

(1) Classification of the Digital Divide

（一）数字鸿沟分类

Although the manifestations of the digital divide have different dimensions, such as differences in digital technology between countries and differences in access to digital resources between individuals, upon closer examination they basically include the digital access divide, the digital capability divide, the digital output divide, and the digital talent divide.

虽然数字鸿沟的表现有不同维度，如国家之间数字技术差异、人与人之间获取数字资源的差异，但细分后基本包涵数字接入鸿沟、数字能力鸿沟、数字产出鸿沟以及数字人才鸿沟等方面。

The digital access divide. The digital access divide mainly refers to the differences in access to information, technology, and knowledge that arise because one group can smoothly access digital technology or the internet while another group cannot, manifested externally as gaps in hardware such as digital infrastructure and equipment. The internet constitutes another digital (virtual) world parallel to the real world; it is a necessity in the era of the digital economy, and connecting to the internet has become the basic channel for people to obtain and master digital information and digital technology. However, relevant data show that in 2021, the 4G population coverage rate in the least developed countries was only 53%, compared to a world average of 87.6% and 98.6% in developed countries; their fixed broadband penetration rate was only 1.4%, while the world average was 16.7% and that of developed countries was 35.7%; the internet penetration rate in developing countries was 57%, in the least developed countries 27%, while the world average was 63% and that of developed countries was 90%. It is evident that nearly half of the global population still has no access to the internet and cannot enjoy the convenience and benefits brought by the digital world. “The digital access divide separates backward regions from the digital civilized world, blocking the basic channels for backward regions to have equal access to scientific knowledge and information technology… causing a severe solidification of the lagging state of digital economy development, continuously falling into a vicious cycle of poverty and backwardness.”

数字接入鸿沟。数字接入鸿沟主要指由于一部分群体可以顺利接入数字技术或互联网，而另一部分却无法接入，从而导致信息、技术以及知识获取的差异，外现为数字基础设施、设备等硬件方面的差距。互联网构成了平行于现实世界的另一个数字（虚拟）世界，它是数字经济时代的必需品，接通互联网成为人们获取、掌握数字信息和数字技术的基本通道。然而，相关数据显示，2021年最不发达国家4G人口覆盖率仅为53%，世界平均水平为87.6%，发达国家为98.6%，其固定宽带普及率则只有1.4%，而世界平均水平为16.7%，发达国家则为35.7%；发展中国家的互联网渗透率为57%，最不发达国家为27%，而世界平均水平为63%，发达国家则为90%。可见，全球仍有近一半人员没有接触到互联网，不能享受数字世界带来的便捷与福利，“数字接入鸿沟将落后地区割裂于数字文明世界之外，阻隔了落后地区平等接触科学知识和信息技术的基本通道……造成了数字经济发展滞后状态的严重固化，不断陷入贫困落后的恶性循环”。

The digital capability divide. The digital capability divide mainly refers to the software gap caused by differences in the ability to acquire, process, utilize, and create digital resources and digital technology. Digital resources and digital technology are crucial in the digital economy; mastering them allows one to control the lifeline of the digital economy. To elaborate further, digital resources include various digitized resources such as data and information, while digital technology is the science and technology that uses digital capabilities to transform the real world; in terms of the ability to acquire digital technology and digital resources, developed countries use their own advantages to engage in digital production, continuously strengthening their digital capabilities, while developing countries and the least developed countries can only be forced to rely on developed countries. In this way, the gap in digital capabilities between them is continuously widened, amplifying the Matthew effect of “the strong get stronger, the weak get weaker.”

数字能力鸿沟。数字能力鸿沟主要指由于获取、处理、运用以及创造数字资源和数字技术的能力差异而导致的软件差距。数字资源与数字技术在数字经济中至关重要，掌握了它们就可以控制数字经济命脉。进一步讲，数字资源是包括数据信息在内的各种数字化的资源，数字技术是运用数字化能力来从事现实世界变革的科学技术；在获得数字技术和数字资源的能力上，发达国家利用自身优势进行数字生产，不断强化其数字能力，而发展中国家和最不发达国家只能被迫依赖于发达国家，这样，不断拉大了彼此间数字能力差距，持续放大“强者越强，弱者越弱”的马太效应。

The digital output divide. The digital output divide mainly refers to the gap in profitability and development status within the digital economy caused by differences in investment, application, and policy regarding digital technology. The development of the digital economy has obvious first-mover advantages. In short, those who first master digital technology and digital resources will continuously use this advantage to develop their digital economy, penetrate beyond the digital industry, obtain cutting-edge digital information, promote the digitization of other industries, and thereby drive the rapid development of social productive forces. The digital information acquired by developed countries, after being organized and analyzed by digital workers, will produce new digital information, which, together with the original digital information, provides a reference for the investment and application of digital technology and related policies. The new digital content produced can drive the development of the digital economy and further consolidate its leading position. In contrast, developing countries and the least developed countries have a weak ability to acquire digital information, making it difficult for them to organize, analyze, and effectively transform that small amount of digital information. Their digital output is far lower in quality and quantity than that of developed countries, and the digital output divide leads to an ever-widening gap in the development of the digital economy between the two.

数字产出鸿沟。数字产出鸿沟主要指由于数字技术投资、应用、政策方面的差异引发的在数字经济获利能力和发展地位方面的差距。数字经济的发展具有明显的先动优势，简言之，率先掌握数字技术与数字资源的人，会不断地利用这一优势发展其数字经济，并渗透到数字产业之外，获取前沿的数字信息，促使其他行业也实现数字化，进而推动社会生产力的快速发展。发达国家获取的数字信息经过数字劳动者整理与分析后会产出新的数字信息，与原有的数字信息一起为数字技术的投资与应用以及相关政策提供参考，产出的新数字内容可以带动数字经济的发展，并进一步巩固其领先地位；而发展中国家和最不发达国家获取数字信息的能力弱，很难将那些少量的数字信息进行整理、分析并有效转化，其数字产出在质量与数量上远低于发达国家，数字产出鸿沟导致二者在数字经济发展方面的差距越来越大。

The digital talent divide. The digital talent divide mainly refers to the gap caused by differences in the quality and level of talent in areas such as digital governance and digital development. Developed countries have a good educational foundation and conditions for digital economic development. The required digital talent can be cultivated at a relatively fast pace, continuously broadening their cognition in digital practice, and at the same time, they can also take on the responsibility of guiding newcomers. This model of generational replacement achieves the systematization, specialization, and virtuous cycle of digital talent cultivation. In contrast, developing countries and the least developed countries face serious problems of digital talent shortage and brain drain. The siphon effect between countries will cause the digital talent divide to grow ever larger.

数字人才鸿沟。数字人才鸿沟主要指在数字治理、数字发展等方面由于人才质量与层次不同而导致的差距。发达国家具备良好的教育基础与数字经济发展条件，所需的数字人才能够以较快的速度被培养出来，并在数字实践中不断拓宽认知，同时，也可以担负对新人的指导，这种新老更替模式实现了数字人才培养的系统化、专业化与良性循环。反观发展中国家和最不发达国家，存在严重的数字人才缺乏与流失问题，国家之间的虹吸效应使得数字人才鸿沟将越来越大。

(2) The Generative Logic of the Digital Divide

（二）数字鸿沟的生成逻辑

With the advent of the fourth scientific and technological revolution, Western developed countries, leveraging their first-mover advantages in digital technology and digital resources, implement digital hegemony and engage in digital plunder, continuously consolidating the trend of the digital divide to prolong their long-term digital exploitation, constantly generating and regenerating new digital divides.

随着第四次科技革命的到来，西方发达国家借助数字技术和数字资源等先发优势推行数字霸权并进行数字掠夺，持续巩固数字鸿沟趋势，以延续其长期的数字剥削，不断生成和再生成新的数字鸿沟。

First, the advent of the fourth scientific and technological revolution has made the emergence of the digital divide possible. The emergence of the digital divide is inseparable from the occurrence of the fourth scientific and technological revolution, and also from the development of world history and the digitalization of productive forces. As Marx and Engels pointed out, "The need of a constantly expanding market for its products chases the bourgeoisie over the entire surface of the globe. It must nestle everywhere, settle everywhere, establish connections everywhere." [9]9 Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, *The Communist Manifesto* (1848). The Chinese text quotes a slightly different translation of the famous passage; this is the standard English version. Capitalist countries, driven by the need for capital accumulation and capital expansion, promoted the rapid development of the first and second industrial revolutions and prompted the final formation of the world market. In the 1940s, the third industrial revolution, marked primarily by the invention and application of atomic energy, electronic computers, and bioengineering, began, signifying the gradual arrival of the information age. By the end of the 1990s, the seeds of the fourth scientific and technological revolution appeared, and digitalization began to replace informatization in some contexts as the core concept depicting the characteristics of the new stage of capitalism. Nicholas Negroponte pointed out, "For a long time, everyone has been so keenly discussing the transition from the industrial age to the post-industrial age or the information age that they have not noticed that we have already entered the post-information age." [10]10 Nicholas Negroponte, *Being Digital* (1995). Negroponte was a founder of the MIT Media Lab and an early popularizer of digital convergence. Digital technology in the post-information age, as a product of the fourth scientific and technological revolution and also the result of the renewal of science and technology itself, provides the possibility for the emergence of the digital divide.

第一，第四次科技革命的到来使得数字鸿沟的产生成为可能。数字鸿沟的出现离不开第四次科技革命的发生，也离不开世界历史和生产力数字化的发展，正如马克思、恩格斯指出，“由于开拓了世界市场，使一切国家的生产和消费都成为世界性的了”。资本主义国家出于资本积累与资本扩张的需要，推动了第一、二次工业革命的快速发展，并促使世界市场最终形成。20世纪40年代，以原子能、电子计算机、生物工程的发明与应用为主要标志的第三次工业革命开启，意味着信息化时代逐渐到来。到了90年代末，第四次科技革命的萌芽出现，数字化开始在一些场合替代信息化成为描绘资本主义新阶段特征的核心概念。尼古拉·尼葛洛庞帝（Nicholas Negroponte）指出，“长期以来，大家都热衷于讨论从工业时代到后工业时代或信息时代的转变，以致于一直没有注意到我们已经进入了后信息时代。”后信息时代的数字技术，作为第四次科技革命的产物，也是科学技术本身更新的结果，它为数字鸿沟的产生提供了可能性。

Second, Western developed countries possess significant advantages in the development of digital technology and monopolize advanced digital technology. The internet has been firmly controlled by the United States since its inception. Currently, there are 13 root servers for the global internet, of which the only primary root server is located in the United States, and 9 of the remaining 12 secondary root servers are also in the United States. All root servers are uniformly managed by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), authorized by the U.S. government, which is responsible for managing the global internet domain name root servers, domain name system, and IP addresses. In other words, the United States almost controls the operation of the entire world's internet and extracts substantial wealth through the ownership rights granted by the domain name system. Other countries must pay fees to the United States to create new domain names and IP addresses; this is just one microcosm of U.S. digital hegemony. At the same time, digital technology can be combined with other elements of capitalist operation to create new growth points for wealth, such as monopolizing digital production, plundering digital resources, and deepening digital exploitation. The digital technology of developing countries and least developed countries often operates on the basis of that of developed countries, which determines their strong dependence on developed countries.

第二，西方发达国家在数字技术发展方面拥有显著优势，垄断着先进的数字技术。互联网一经问世就被美国牢牢掌控，目前全球互联网根服务器有 13 台，其中唯一的主根服务器在美国，其余12台辅根服务器中有9台也在美国。根服务器均由美国政府授权的ICANN(互联网名称与数字地址分配机构) 统一管理，负责全球互联网域名根服务器、域名体系和IP地址等管理。换言之，美国几乎控制着整个世界的互联网运转，并借域名体系颁发的所有权来攫取大量财富。其他国家要创建新的域名与IP地址都要向美国付费，这只是美国数字霸权的一个缩影。同时，数字技术可以与其他资本主义运转内容结合起来创造新的财富生长点，如垄断数字生产、掠夺数字资源、深化数字剥削等。发展中国家和最不发达国家的数字技术往往是在发达国家的基础上运作起来的，这就决定了他们对发达国家有着很强的依赖性。

Third, developed countries occupy massive digital resources, becoming the largest beneficiaries of the digital economy "pie," and use this to engage in digital plunder and exercise digital hegemony. Relying on advanced hardware infrastructure and digital technology, developed countries monopolize the ownership of digital resources. Digital resources, including data, are both a strategic resource of the digital economy and an important foundation of the fourth scientific and technological revolution. Digital capitalists invest large amounts of digital resources into the research and development of artificial intelligence machines. By acquiring and absorbing these digital resources, artificial intelligence machines become more intelligent, forming the information foundation for hardware devices in the intelligent era. After digital capitalists have digital resources sorted and analyzed by digital laborers and artificial intelligence machines, they select valuable data, package it, and sell it to those in need. Capitalists who obtain the data, based on precise analysis of users, can earn profits through methods such as placing advertisements. It must be recognized that most digital resources are produced by digital laborers through paid labor and unpaid labor. Paid labor mainly refers to the labor performed by digital laborers engaged in full-time or part-time work who receive corresponding remuneration through their work. Unpaid labor refers to the labor performed by people in a non-working state through activities such as browsing internet information and online shopping. However, the digital resources produced by both paid labor and unpaid labor belong to the capitalists, becoming tools for them to extract profits.

第三，发达国家占据海量数字资源，成为数字经济“蛋糕”的最大享用者，并借此进行数字掠夺、推行数字霸权。发达国家凭借先进的硬件基础设施与数字技术，垄断了数字资源的所有权，而包括数据在内的数字资源，既是数字经济的战略资源之一，也是第四次科技革命的重要基础。数字资本家将大量的数字资源投入到人工智能机器的研发当中，人工智能机器通过获取并吸收这些数字资源变得更加智能，成为智能化时代硬件设备的信息基础。数字资本家将数字资源经由数字劳动者与人工智能机器整理、分析后，选择有价值的数据打包出售给需求者，而获得数据的资本家基于对用户的精准分析，可以通过投放广告等方式赚取利润。要认识到，大多数数字资源都是由有酬劳动与无酬劳动的数字劳动者进行生产，有酬劳动主要指正在从事全职或兼职工作的数字劳动者通过工作获取相应报酬进行的劳动，无酬劳动则指处于非工作状态下的人们通过浏览互联网信息、网上购物等活动进行的劳动，但有酬劳动与无酬劳动产出的数字资源却归资本家所有，成为他们攫取利润的工具。

Fourth, the digital hegemony and digital plunder of Western developed countries have formed the digital divide, and continuously generate and regenerate new digital divides. The existence of the digital divide allows developed countries to maintain absolute advantages and discursive power in areas such as digital technology for a long time, making it possible for them to occupy a central position in the digital world. For developing countries and least developed countries, the existence of the digital divide confines them to the periphery of the digital world. While relying on digital technology provided by developed countries to advance their own scientific and technological development, their domestic digital resources are also long-term occupied. The "support" and "aid" from developed countries in the short term come at the cost of exchanging ownership of digital resources and the right to develop digital technology, which is essentially a form of digital hegemony. Once the level of digital technology in developing countries and least developed countries approaches core standards, developed countries will impose restrictions on grounds such as "national security" to protect their own interests, which will further widen the digital divide.

第四，西方发达国家的数字霸权和数字掠夺形成了数字鸿沟，并不断生成和再生成新的数字鸿沟。数字鸿沟的存在，让发达国家在数字技术等方面长期保持绝对优势与话语权，使得他们在数字世界占据中心地位成为可能。对于发展中国家与最不发达国家而言，数字鸿沟的存在将其限制在数字世界边缘，而依靠发达国家提供的数字技术推进科技发展的同时，本国的数字资源也长期被占有。发达国家短时间内的“支持”与“援助”，是以交换数字资源所有权与数字技术发展权为代价的，从本质上说是一种数字霸权。一旦发展中国家和最不发达国家的数字技术水平接近核心标准，发达国家便会以“国家安全”等为理由进行限制，以保护其自身利益，会进一步拉大数字鸿沟。

(III) Governance Dilemmas of the Digital Divide

（三）数字鸿沟的治理困境

The categories and generative logic of the digital divide determine that its governance will inevitably face numerous dilemmas and will be difficult to resolve in the short term. Examining the governance dilemmas of the digital divide can be analyzed from three dimensions: the effective governance environment, effective governance subjects, and effective governance mechanisms.

数字鸿沟的类别及生成逻辑决定了其治理必然面临诸多困境，并在短期内较难得到解决。考察数字鸿沟的治理困境，可以从有效治理环境、有效治理主体和有效治理机制等三个维度展开分析。

Lack of an effective governance environment. The digital divide is a global issue, and systematic governance is inseparable from effective coordination among countries. "Western countries control the global production and trade networks through digital technology, maintaining an unequal economic and trade relationship dominated by the West." [11]11 Source not identified in the original; the quotation is given as a general reference to Western dominance of global digital trade networks. Although they have provided some economic support to developing countries and least developed countries, this support is premised on political附加条件 [12]12 The Chinese term 附加条件 (fùjiā tiáojiàn) means "additional conditions" or "strings attached." The original text uses the English loanword "附加条件" in parentheses, indicating the authors are glossing the concept.. At the same time, they take this opportunity to implant digital infrastructure such as digital hardware devices and digital software content, causing these countries to maintain a certain dependence on them. It can be said that developed countries achieve the uncompensated appropriation of digital surplus value by occupying the digital infrastructure of other countries. For example, when developing countries and least developed countries seek to build digital infrastructure relying on their own strength, they will face suppression from developed countries. The sanctions against China's Huawei and ZTE are typical examples. [13]13 Huawei and ZTE are major Chinese telecommunications equipment manufacturers. Beginning in 2018, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on both companies, restricting their access to U.S. technology and components, citing national security concerns. The sanctions against Huawei were particularly severe, including a ban on U.S. companies selling components to Huawei without a special license. In short, developed countries will not truly resolve the digital divide but will use it to achieve global expansion and plunder, ensuring they always stand at the forefront of the digital age. This urgently requires creating an effective governance environment to break the digital divide.

缺乏有效治理环境。数字鸿沟是全球性问题，要进行系统性治理，离不开各国的有效协调。“西方国家通过数字技术等控制着全球的生产贸易网络，维持着一种西方主导的不平等经贸交往关系”，虽然对发展中国家和最不发达国家给予了一定经济支持，然而这种支持是以政治附加条件为前提的，同时，他们借此机会植入数字硬件设备、数字软件内容等数字基础设施，导致这些国家对其保持一定的依赖，可以说，发达国家通过占据其他国家的数字基础设施，实现对数字剩余价值的无偿占有。比如，当发展中国家和最不发达国家要依靠自身力量建设数字基础设施时，将受到来自发达国家的打压，中国华为与中兴被制裁是典型的例证。总之，发达国家并不会真正解决数字鸿沟，而是以此实现全球扩张与掠夺，确保一直站在数字时代前列，这便亟需营造破解数字鸿沟的有效治理环境。

Lack of effective governance subjects. In recent years, with the rapid development of digital technology, digital platforms have become an important force in digital governance. For example, Google, Twitter, etc., possess cross-border capabilities and have become forces that cannot be ignored in digital governance. Apart from digital platforms, states, as the most important governance subjects, find it difficult to reach consensus on digital governance due to differences in interests. The United States, as the most developed country, should have assumed the responsibility of a governance subject. However, in recent years, it has raised the banner of "America First," [14]14 "America First" is a foreign policy slogan and doctrine associated with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump (2017–2021), emphasizing U.S. national interests over multilateral cooperation and international commitments. undermining the initially established governance system. Coupled with the frequent occurrence of the European debt crisis and the rise of populism, internal coordination within Europe cannot be achieved. Developing countries and least developed countries have expressed their desire to participate in the governance of the digital divide, but their actual digital demands are difficult to satisfy. Therefore, exploring effective governance subjects and restarting the global digital governance order appears very necessary and urgent.

缺乏有效治理主体。近些年来，随着数字科技的高速发展，数字平台成为数字治理的重要力量，如谷歌、推特等具备跨国能力，成为数字治理不可忽视的力量。除数字平台外，国家作为最重要的治理主体，由于存在利益差异，在数字治理方面较难达成共识。美国作为最发达的国家，本应承担治理主体的责任，然而，近年以来却高举“美国优先”旗帜，破坏了初步建立的治理体系；加之欧洲债务危机频发、民粹主义抬头，其内部无法达成协调一致。发展中国家和最不发达国家表达出参与数字鸿沟治理的愿望，但其实际数字诉求却很难得到满足，那么探寻有效治理主体，重启全球数字治理秩序，显得十分必要与迫切。

Lack of effective governance mechanisms. Digital governance mechanisms mainly include the connotations of digital security mechanisms, digital cooperation mechanisms, and so on. On the one hand, digital security mechanisms are systems that ensure digital security and prevent the sovereignty of cyberspace from being violated by developed countries. Security is a core issue for any country. Developed countries, in order to protect their own rights and interests, will infringe upon the digital security and cybersecurity of other countries to obtain private information and safeguard their own interests, as revealed by the "eavesdropping scandal" [15]15 The "eavesdropping scandal" refers to revelations by former US National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden in 2013, which exposed large-scale global surveillance programs conducted by the US government, including the monitoring of foreign leaders and citizens.. Developing countries and least developed countries, constrained by technology and other factors, are unable to fully protect their own data, including data in areas such as civil aviation, environmental protection, transportation, energy, and national defense, all of which face risks of leakage during transmission and storage. On the other hand, digital cooperation mechanisms are relevant cooperation mechanisms established strictly and legally to address the digital divide. In the process of globalization, humanity faces issues such as climate, economic development, and the digital divide. Climate and economic development issues have been addressed by international organizations through relatively formal global agreements that stipulate the responsibilities and obligations of countries at different stages of development. However, "to date, no globally recognized digital community framework has been formed, nor has a strong international convention been signed to serve as the foundation for constructing digital divide governance mechanisms and institutional design." Because the digital divide involves complex content and a wide range of areas, reaching a unified agreement requires a long time. Moreover, developed countries led by the United States intentionally obstruct the resolution of the digital divide issue. Therefore, it is very important to strengthen cooperation among countries worldwide in digital technology and other areas, and to establish an effective digital governance system by signing legally binding agreements. In view of this, the international community needs a country to assume the responsibility of bridging the digital divide. With the gradual enhancement of China's comprehensive national strength, a turning point has finally arrived for resolving the digital divide.

缺乏有效治理机制。数字治理机制，主要包括数字安全机制、数字合作机制等内涵，一方面，数字安全机制是保障数字安全、网络空间主权不被发达国家侵犯的制度。安全问题是国家的核心问题，发达国家为保障本国权益，会对其他国家的数字安全和网络安全进行侵犯，以获取隐私信息，保障自身利益，如“窃听门”事件爆出的内幕。发展中国家和最不发达国家受技术等限制，无法完全实现对本国数据的保护，包括民航、环保、交通、能源、国防等方面的数据，在传输与储存过程中都面临泄露的风险。另一方面，数字合作机制是建立严格、合法的解决数字鸿沟的相关合作机制。在全球化进程中，人类面临气候、经济发展、数字鸿沟等问题，气候与经济发展问题已由国际组织通过签订相对正式的全球协定，规定了不同发展程度的国家应承担的责任与义务。然而，“至今尚未形成世界公认的数字共同体架构和签署强有力的国际公约，作为数字鸿沟治理机制构建与制度设计的基础”。由于数字鸿沟内容复杂、涉及面广，达成统一协定需要较长的时间，而以美国为首的发达国家有意阻碍数字鸿沟问题的解决，所以，加强世界各国在数字技术等方面的合作，通过签订具有法律效力的协定并确立有效的数字治理体制，显得十分重要。鉴于此，国际社会需要有国家担当起弥合数字鸿沟的责任，随着中国综合国力的逐渐增强，数字鸿沟的解决终于迎来了转机。

III. The Chinese Solution for Governing the Digital Divide: The "Digital Silk Road"

三、治理数字鸿沟的中国方案：“数字丝绸之路”

The digital divide is one of the important issues facing the process of global digitalization. To this end, China has proposed the "Digital Silk Road." Xi Jinping pointed out, "We need to follow the trend of the fourth industrial revolution, jointly seize opportunities presented by digital, networked, and smart development, jointly explore new technologies, new business forms, and new models, and explore new growth drivers and development paths, building a Digital Silk Road and an Innovation Silk Road." [16]16 Xi Jinping, "Working Together to Build a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind in Cyberspace," speech at the opening ceremony of the Fifth World Internet Conference, November 7, 2018. By building the "Digital Silk Road," it is possible not only to break the long-standing digital hegemony and digital plunder of Western developed countries but also to help end their digital exploitation of developing and least developed countries.

数字鸿沟是全球数字化进程中面临的重要问题之一，为此中国提出了“数字丝绸之路”。习近平指出，“我们要顺应第四次工业革命发展趋势，共同把握数字化、网络化、智能化发展机遇，共同探索新技术、新业态、新模式，探寻新的增长动能和发展路径，建设数字丝绸之路、创新丝绸之路。”通过打造“数字丝绸之路”，既可能打破西方发达国家长期的数字霸权与数字掠夺，又有助于终结他们对发展中国家和最不发达国家的数字剥削。

(I) The Connotation and Extension of the "Digital Silk Road"

（一）“数字丝绸之路”的内涵和外延

The "Digital Silk Road" is the digitalization of the Silk Road in the New Era, involving fields such as the digital economy, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and quantum computing. It aims to "promote the interconnection of information infrastructure and the smart interconnection of key node cities along the route, and to promote in-depth exchanges and cooperation in economic, social, cultural, and other fields among countries and regions along the route." [17]17 National Development and Reform Commission, "Vision and Actions on Jointly Building the Digital Silk Road," 2017.

“数字丝绸之路”，是新时代丝绸之路的数字化，涉及数字经济、人工智能、纳米科技、量子计算机等领域，旨在“推进沿线国家信息基础设施互联、重要节点城市智慧互通，推动沿线国家和地区经济、社会和文化等领域的深度交流合作”。

In terms of its connotation, first, the "Digital Silk Road" is the product of the combination of China's digital economy development and the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. The digital economy is a new economic form that takes digitalized knowledge and information as key production factors, digital technology as the core driving force, and modern information networks as important carriers. Through the deep integration of digital technology and the real economy, it continuously improves the digitalization, networking, and intelligent levels of the economy and society, accelerating the reconstruction of economic development and governance models. Today, the digital economy is becoming an important driving force for global economic growth. As of 2022, the scale of China's digital economy exceeded 50 trillion yuan for the first time, and the proportion of the digital economy in GDP had reached 41.5%. China has become a veritable digital economy power. In 2013, President Xi Jinping launched the Belt and Road Initiative to promote infrastructure construction and connectivity between China and countries along the route, strengthen economic policy coordination and development strategy alignment, and achieve complementary advantages and mutual benefit. The digital economy is the development driving force of the "Digital Silk Road," and the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative is its policy basis. Together, they constitute the "Digital Silk Road." Second, as a continuation of the ancient Silk Road, the "Digital Silk Road" inherits the Silk Road spirit centered on "peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning, and mutual benefit." In the New Era, China upholds the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, continuing to carry out equal, mutually beneficial, and win-win cooperation with countries along the route in areas such as promoting the deep integration of digital technology and the real economy. Finally, the "Digital Silk Road" is a complex system composed of multiple dimensions. The "Digital Silk Road" includes multiple dimensions such as the "institutional dimension, technical dimension, material dimension, and commercial dimension." [18]18 The four dimensions are a framework used in Chinese policy analysis to describe the multi-faceted nature of the Digital Silk Road, covering institutional arrangements, technological foundations, physical infrastructure, and commercial operations. It requires countries along the route to provide institutional alignment, technical support, and asset investment, and to be driven by a market orientation with enterprises as the main body. Because the "Digital Silk Road" involves many fields and requires participants to undertake deep-level changes in institutions and other aspects, it is a long-term construction process.

就其内涵而言，首先，“数字丝绸之路”是我国数字经济发展和“一带一路”建设相结合的产物。数字经济是以数字化的知识和信息为关键生产要素，以数字技术为核心驱动力，以现代信息网络为重要载体，通过数字技术与实体经济的深度融合，不断提高经济社会的数字化、网络化、智能化水平，加速重构经济发展与治理模式的新型经济形态。如今，数字经济正成为全球经济增长重要的驱动力，截至2022年，我国数字经济规模首次突破50万亿元，数字经济占GDP的比重已达到41.5%。我国成为名副其实的数字经济大国。2013年习近平主席发起“一带一路”倡议，以促进中国与沿线国家的基础设施建设和互联互通，加强经济政策协调和发展战略对接，实现优势互补、互利共赢。数字经济是“数字丝绸之路”的发展动力，“一带一路”建设是其政策依据，二者共同构成了“数字丝绸之路”。其次，“数字丝绸之路”作为古代丝绸之路的延续，继承了以“和平合作、开放包容、互学互鉴、互利共赢为核心”的丝路精神。在新时代，我国秉持共商共建共享的原则，继续与沿线国家在推进数字技术同实体经济深入融合等方面开展平等、互利、共赢的合作。最后，“数字丝绸之路”是由多个维度组成的复杂系统。“数字丝绸之路”包括“制度维度、技术维度、物质维度和商业维度”等多个维度，需要沿线国家给予制度衔接、技术支持、资产投资，并以市场为导向、以企业为主体来推动。“数字丝绸之路”由于涉及的领域众多，要求参与方进行制度等方面的深层次变革，因此是一个长期建设的过程。

In terms of its extension, first, the "Digital Silk Road" is cooperation between China and countries along the route. Based on the concept of joint discussion, joint construction, and joint sharing between China and countries along the route, and under the premise of safeguarding respective digital economy development and respecting digital sovereignty, the "Digital Silk Road" is guided by market principles, appropriately leverages the role of the government, and achieves mutual benefit and win-win results for all parties through market-oriented operations. Second, the "Digital Silk Road" is a docking and supplement to the existing digital economy development of countries along the route. The digital economy development of countries along the route is uneven. Some have broad digital markets but lack sound digital infrastructure; others have complete digital infrastructure but insufficient utilization of digital resource value; still others lack both digital infrastructure and capital. Under the premise of respecting digital sovereignty, China helps develop their domestic digital markets through digital industries and digital technologies, connects them with the international digital market, and creates a digital community with a shared future. Finally, the "Digital Silk Road" is a policy promoting win-win cooperation. The digital economy has two major characteristics. One is speed: it can reduce information asymmetry through digital networks, increase the speed at which people access information, and correspondingly reduce communication costs and trade costs. The other is non-competitiveness: digital networks can be shared. The larger the scale of sharing on a digital network, the lower the marginal cost, and the more people can benefit. The "Digital Silk Road" breaks through zero-sum game thinking. The more countries and people it radiates to, the greater the benefits for both sides.

就其外延而言，首先，“数字丝绸之路”是中国与沿线国家的合作。“数字丝绸之路”基于中国与沿线国家共同商议、共同建设、共同分享的理念，在以维护各自数字经济发展和尊重数字主权的前提下，以市场原则为导向，适当发挥政府作用，通过市场化运作来实现各方的互利共赢。其次，“数字丝绸之路”是对沿线国家现有数字经济发展的对接与补充。沿线国家数字经济发展并不平衡，有的数字市场广阔但数字基础设施不健全，有的数字基础设施完善而数字资源价值利用不足，有的既缺乏数字基础设施又缺乏资金。中国在尊重数字主权的前提下，通过数字产业与数字技术帮助开发其国内数字市场，并打通与国际数字市场的连接，营造数字命运共同体。最后，“数字丝绸之路”是推行合作共赢的政策。数字经济有两大特点，一是快捷性，可以通过数字网络减少信息不对称，提升人们获取信息的速度，相应地降低沟通成本与贸易成本；二是非竞争性，即数字网络可以实现共享，数字网络的共享规模越大，边际成本就越低，能够惠及的人口也就越多。“数字丝绸之路”突破了零和博弈思维，它辐射到的国家与人口越多，双方的受益也就越大。

(II) Building the "Digital Silk Road" Requires Shaping an Effective Governance Subject

（二）打造“数字丝绸之路”需要塑造有效治理主体

Facing the digital divide, China has assumed the responsibility of a governance subject and provided a governance plan. Based on China's digital technology and digital resources, the "Digital Silk Road" promotes the high-quality development of the "Digital Silk Road" through actual investment and the construction of digital infrastructure by signing cooperation memoranda with countries along the route. Of course, in this process, China also needs to strengthen its own digital construction.

面对数字鸿沟，中国承担起治理主体的责任，给出了治理方案。“数字丝绸之路”以中国的数字技术和数字资源为基础，通过与沿线国家签订合作备忘录进行实际投资、修建数字基础设施等，高质量推动“数字丝绸之路”发展。当然，在这一过程中，中国也需要加强自身的数字建设。

First, continue to strengthen the construction of the digital economy and enhance the "hard power" of digital science and technology. At present, although China is a digital power, there is still a certain gap between it and digital strong countries. China has not yet fully achieved independent innovation in the core fields of digital science and technology. Therefore, it is necessary to continuously strengthen the construction of digital science and technology, increase investment in relevant digital industries, improve the digital technology innovation system, build a strong and controllable digital technology innovation chain and digital industry supply chain, and strive to break the monopoly of the West in digital science and technology as soon as possible, realizing the dream of becoming a "digital strong country."

第一，继续加强数字经济建设，强化数字科技“硬实力”。目前，中国虽然是数字大国，但与数字强国仍有一定差距，中国在数字科技核心领域还未完全实现自主创新。因此，要不断强化数字科技建设，加大对相关数字产业的投资力度，完善数字技术创新制度，构建强有力、可自控的数字技术创新链和数字产业供应链，力争早日突破西方在数字科技等方面的垄断，实现“数字强国”梦想。

Second, safeguard one’s own digital network security and consolidate the sovereign status of cyberspace. Digital network security is an important component of national security, encompassing digital hardware security and digital software security, as well as the security of numerous confidential data and information related to the national economy and people’s livelihoods. To consolidate the sovereign status of cyberspace, it is necessary to actively utilize cutting-edge technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence to strengthen the construction of China’s digital network security system and protect data security; enhance the ability to detect, warn, command, and trace cybersecurity risks, and actively build and upgrade China’s digital network security system; increase financial investment and personnel training to ensure China’s digital network security and consolidate China’s sovereign status in cyberspace.

第二，维护自身数字网络安全，巩固网络空间主权地位。数字网络安全是国家安全的重要组成部分，包括数字硬件安全与数字软件安全，以及众多涉及国计民生事业的机密数据、信息安全等。要巩固网络空间主权地位，必须做到积极利用大数据、人工智能等前沿技术增强我国数字网络安全系统建设，保护数据安全；提高发现、预警、指挥、溯源网络安全风险的能力，积极建造、升级我国数字网络安全系统；加大资金投入与人才培养，确保我国数字网络安全，巩固我国的网络空间主权地位。

Third, advance the construction of China’s digital government, digital society, and digital individuals, accelerate the digitization process, and enhance the people’s sense of well-being. In developing the digital economy, China possesses advantages such as leading digital infrastructure, a large-scale information and communication network construction, a high number of internet users and enterprises, and a large digital economy, which constitute an important foundational force for digital economy development. To rationally utilize these digital technologies, it is first necessary to build a digital government, reshape government governance structures, innovate government service models, update government governance concepts, and continuously improve the level and capability of government governance. Second, it is necessary to build a digital society, encourage cooperation between universities, research institutions, and enterprises, promote the integrated development of industry, academia, and research, accelerate the transformation and application of research results, and bridge the “last mile” [19]19 “The last mile” (最后一公里) is a Chinese policy metaphor for the final stage of implementing a policy or service, where it reaches the grassroots or ordinary citizens directly, often highlighting the difficulty of ensuring effective delivery. to benefit more people. Finally, it is necessary to build digital individuals, which involves both safeguarding personal digital identities and protecting personal data privacy so that digital development brings convenience to individuals, and accumulating big data to provide references for national digital construction; of course, digital individuals can also supervise the construction of digital society and digital government, and promote the development of digital society and the digital nation.

第三，推进我国数字政府、数字社会、数字个人建设，加快数字化进程，增强人民幸福感。在发展数字经济方面，我国拥有数字化基础设施领先、信息通信网络建设规模大、互联网用户与企业多、数字经济体量大等优势，构成了数字经济发展的重要基础力量。要合理利用这些数字技术，首先要建设数字政府，重塑政府治理结构，创新政府服务模式，更新政府治理理念，不断提升政府治理水平与能力。其次要建设数字社会，鼓励高校、科研机构与企业合作，推进产学研一体化发展，加快研究成果的转化与应用，打通“最后一公里”，以惠及更多群众。最后要建设数字个人，既要维护好个人数字化身份，保护好个人数据隐私，使数字化发展为个人带来便捷，又要积累大数据为国家数字化建设提供参考；当然，数字个人也可监督数字社会和数字政府建设，并推动数字社会和数字国家的发展。

(III) Building a “Digital Silk Road” requires establishing an effective governance mechanism

（三）打造“数字丝绸之路”需要建立有效治理机制

Building a “Digital Silk Road” and establishing an effective governance mechanism to address the digital divide requires focusing on issues such as aligning top-level designs with countries along the route, multi-dimensional cooperation, and building a digital community with a shared future.

打造“数字丝绸之路”，建立有效治理机制解决数字鸿沟，这一过程需要瞄向与沿线国家顶层设计对接、多维度合作、建设数字命运共同体等问题。

First, accelerate the alignment of top-level designs with countries along the route, and consolidate the consensus for cooperation among countries along the “Digital Silk Road.” Through top-level design, formulate cooperation plans and implementation plans for digital infrastructure construction, digital network security construction, and digital talent training in countries along the route, unify the core thinking of “Digital Silk Road” construction, and enable the rational layout and steady development of digital construction in countries along the route. At the same time, it is necessary to carry forward the Silk Road spirit, uphold the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, increase the publicity of the “Digital Silk Road,” and highlight its significant role and meaning for the digital economic development and improvement of people’s livelihoods in countries along the route, while also exposing the essence of digital hegemony pursued by the United States-led Western developed capitalist countries, refuting their slander and smears against the legitimacy of China-led “Digital Silk Road” construction, and consolidating the consensus for cooperation among countries along the “Digital Silk Road.”

第一，与沿线国家加快顶层设计对接，巩固“数字丝绸之路”沿线国家合作的共识。通过顶层设计，制定沿线国家数字基础设施建设、数字网络安全建设、数字人才培养等方面的合作方案与执行方案等，统一“数字丝绸之路”建设的核心思想，使沿线国家的数字化建设得到合理布局与稳步发展。同时，要赓续丝路精神，秉持共商共建共享原则，加大“数字丝绸之路”的宣传力度，彰显其对于沿线国家数字经济发展以及民生改善的重大作用与意义，同时揭露以美国为首的西方发达资本主义国家推行数字霸权的本质，回击他们对我国主导的“数字丝绸之路”建设正当性的抹黑污蔑，巩固“数字丝绸之路”沿线国家合作的共识。

Second, engage in multi-dimensional cooperation with countries along the route to achieve common development of the digital economy in countries along the “Digital Silk Road.” China and countries along the “Digital Silk Road” have potential cooperation space in multiple dimensions, such as the institutional dimension, the technological dimension, the material dimension, and the commercial dimension, which specifically include digital construction systems, digital technology talent training, digital infrastructure investment, digital market construction, digital network security construction, digital resource utilization capabilities, digital content production, digital trade systems, and digital construction supervision. Currently, it is necessary to establish a comprehensive digital cooperation system as soon as possible, cultivate talents proficient in digital technology, build digital infrastructure led by internet platforms and efficiently circulating digital markets, continuously consolidate digital network security, exploit various digital resources, increase digital resource output, achieve mutual benefit, and realize the joint promotion of digital economy development by China and countries along the “Digital Silk Road.”

第二，与沿线国家进行多维度合作，实现“数字丝绸之路”沿线国家数字经济共同发展。中国与“数字丝绸之路”沿线国家在多个维度都有潜在合作空间，如制度维度、技术维度、物质维度与商业维度，具体又分为数字建设制度、数字技术人才培训、数字基础设施投资、数字市场建设、数字网络安全建设、数字资源运用能力、数字内容产出、数字贸易制度、数字建设监督等方面。当前，要尽快建立全方位的数字合作制度，培育精通数字技术的人才，建设以互联网平台为主导的数字基础设施以及高效流通的数字市场，不断巩固数字网络安全，开采各项数字资源，增加数字资源产出，互惠互利，实现中国与“数字丝绸之路”沿线国家共同推动数字经济的发展。

Third, cooperate with developed countries willing to join, and build a digital community with a shared future with broad coverage. Besides developing countries and least developed countries, the countries along the “Digital Silk Road” also include some developed countries such as Italy and Luxembourg. The Chinese government has always maintained an open attitude towards developed countries willing to join the “Digital Silk Road,” encouraging everyone to work together in full cooperation. As the number of countries joining the “Digital Silk Road” increases, its radiation scope will also continuously expand, further enhancing China’s digital influence. In short, China is willing to work with other countries to make the digital economy “cake” bigger, build a digital community with a shared future, and promote the formation of a virtuous cycle system of mutual promotion and common development for the “Digital Silk Road.”

第三，与有意加入的发达国家合作，建设覆盖面广阔的数字命运共同体。“数字丝绸之路”沿线国家除发展中国家与最不发达国家之外，也包括意大利、卢森堡等一些发达国家。对于有意愿加入“数字丝绸之路”的发达国家，中国政府一直持开放的态度，鼓励大家通力合作。随着“数字丝绸之路”加入国家的增多，其辐射的范围也会不断扩大，将进一步提升中国的数字影响力。总之，中国愿意同其他国家共同做大数字经济这块“蛋糕”，建设数字命运共同体，推动“数字丝绸之路”形成相互促进、共同发展的良性循环系统。

The digital divide is one of the core issues facing digital development in the contemporary world. The emergence and expansion of the digital divide are closely related to digital capitalism, neoliberal policies, and Western digital hegemony. Of course, the emergence of the digital divide does not indicate that digital technology itself has problems. “When digital technology serves the capitalist mode of production, it ultimately only benefits a minority,” while when digital technology serves the socialist mode of production, it is conducive to benefiting the vast majority of people. Regarding the future order of the digital world, Xi Jinping pointed out, “China is willing to join hands with countries around the world to forge a global digital development path featuring the joint construction and sharing of digital resources, vibrant digital economy, precise and efficient digital governance, prosperous and developed digital culture, strong digital security guarantees, and mutually beneficial digital cooperation, accelerate the building of a community with a shared future in cyberspace, and contribute wisdom and strength to world peace, development, and the progress of human civilization.” Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, China has vigorously developed the digital economy and promoted digital governance, showcasing Chinese wisdom to the world. In the New Era, using the “Digital Silk Road” to eliminate the digital divide is not only conducive to the development of China’s digital economy but also promotes the construction and formation of a digital community with a shared future. This is China’s new attempt and new contribution to the digital construction of human society.

数字鸿沟是当代世界数字化发展面临的核心问题之一，数字鸿沟的产生、扩大与数字资本主义、新自由主义政策、西方数字霸权都有密切的关系。当然，数字鸿沟的出现并不能说明数字技术本身存在问题，“数字化技术为资本主义的生产方式服务，终究只是在为少数人谋利”，数字化技术为社会主义的生产方式服务，则有利于为绝大多数人谋福利。关于数字世界的未来秩序，习近平指出，“中国愿同世界各国一道，携手走出一条数字资源共建共享、数字经济活力迸发、数字治理精准高效、数字文化繁荣发展、数字安全保障有力、数字合作互利共赢的全球数字发展道路，加快构建网络空间命运共同体，为世界和平发展和人类文明进步贡献智慧和力量”。党的十八大以来，我国大力发展数字经济，推动数字治理，为全世界展示了中国智慧。新时代，借助“数字丝绸之路”消除数字鸿沟，既有利于中国数字经济的发展，又能推动数字命运共同体的构建与形成，这是我国对人类社会数字化建设的新尝试新贡献。

(Author bios: Chen Wenxu, Doctor of Laws, Associate Professor, Researcher, and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Marxism, Peking University; Nie Jiaqi, Doctoral Student at the School of Marxism, Peking University)

（作者简介：陈文旭，法学博士，北京大学马克思主义学院副教授、研究员、博士生导师；聂嘉琪，北京大学马克思主义学院博士生）

Online Editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心