China digital trade grows as web novel exports and data production rise

China's digital trade is experiencing significant growth, driven by service exports, cultural content, and data distribution. According to the Ministry of Commerce, the total import and export value of digitally deliverable services reached $432.31 billion in 2025, a 6.3% increase from the previous year.

Digital technology services, including telecommunications, computer, and information services, saw their import and export value rise from $93.73 billion in 2020 to $154.53 billion in 2025, maintaining an average annual growth rate of over 10%. Cultural content such as web novels, online games, films, animation, and short-form videos have become key export items. By the end of 2025, China had exported over 130,000 web novel works, reaching approximately 250 million registered overseas users across more than 200 countries and regions.

In terms of data, China's annual data production reached 52.3 zettabytes (ZB) in 2025, accounting for approximately 27.4% of global production. This represents a 27.3% increase from the previous year. Additionally, cross-border data circulation rose by 14.9% to 142.3 exabytes (EB). The expansion is supported by Chinese cloud service, internet, and digital solution companies assisting in the digital transformation of overseas enterprises.