By Yin Haodong, Department of Rural Economy, DRC

Research Report, No.333, 2022 (Total 6847) 2022-10-17 

Abstract: Traditional socio-economic structures in the rural area are constantly evolving as society transitions from isolation to opening-up, a process that has posed new challenges to rural governance. Digital technology can not only help standardize governance procedures of rural public affairs and create a multi-subject governance pattern, but also provide a more comprehensive basis for decision-making in rural governance based on data. Although local authorities have actively explored digitalization of rural governance, they are facing multiple unfavorable factors such as inadequate technical service systems and information infrastructure, a weak application foundation, and lack of data coordination and integration. To promote the modernization of rural governance, digital technology should be more widely applied in rural governance, management mechanisms should be improved and basic platforms of rural digital governance should be developed. These steps would address such problems as data collection, sharing and application. Efforts should also be made to improve the public's digital literacy and to advance rural information infrastructure construction at a quicker pace so as to establish a governance mechanism that integrates self-governance, the rule of law, and rule by virtue and intelligence.

Key words: rural governance, digital governance, digital technology, policy suggestions