Lu Yongzheng, head of the publicity department of the Communist Party of China Guizhou Provincial Committee, speaks during a group interview on the sidelines of the ongoing 20th CPC National Congress, Oct 19, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]

Guizhou province has promoted high-quality economic development, ecological preservation and people's livelihoods over the years, based on its environmental advantages and big data field project, said a senior official with the province on Wednesday.

Guizhou is the first national comprehensive big data pilot zone, and its digital economic growth rate has ranked first in the country for seven consecutive years, said Lu Yongzheng, head of the publicity department of the Communist Party of China Guizhou Provincial Committee, in a group interview on the sidelines of the ongoing 20th CPC National Congress.

"Guizhou also continues to promote the construction of the national ecological civilization pilot zone, and environmental protection efforts have brought dividends, helping its green economy grow 45 percent and its forest coverage reach about 62 percent," he said.

Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, Guizhou's tourism industry ranked among the top in China in terms of both the number of tourists received and total revenue. Now the trend of recovery in the industry is obvious, Lu said.

"We will make full use of the advantages in big data and the environment, vigorously expand emerging digital industries such as big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and blockchain, build a nationwide computing power support base and foster an industrial cluster of information technology services," he said.

In addition, the province will also promote industries based on ecological and environmental protection and integrate the development of culture and tourism, he added.