(W.E. Talk) Ex-Belgian Ambassador turned farmer praises internet for revitalizing rural China

 

By Lin Zhuowei, Xue Lingqiao

Since China officially connected to the World Wide Web in April 1994 via a 64K access line operated by American provider Sprint, China’s economy and internet-based services have grown in leaps and bounds over the past three decades. The country has transitioned from being “an internet learner and follower to a leader in the global digital economy,” marked by exceptional urban development.

As China’s internet industry sets to unveil its fourth decade, this raises questions about how digital progress can extend its reach into China’s vast rural regions. And how can internet technologies facilitate agricultural production? To explore these issues, W.E. Talk invited Patrick Nijs, former Belgian ambassador to China, and Chen Jin, professor at Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management and director of the university’s Research Center for Technology Innovation, to discuss leveraging digital technologies to advance rural revitalization, foster green development, and fuel sustainable economic growth.

China, from a learner to a leader over three decades

The year 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of China’s full integration into the global internet. "In just 30 years, China has transitioned from being an internet learner and follower to a leader in the global digital economy," said Chen. "This transformation is nothing short of remarkable."

Nijs, who has lived in China for over 25 years, echoed this sentiment. “When I came here in 1997, it was nearly the beginning of the internet in China. Like in many other areas, China has moved so quickly when it comes to the Internet, the Internet of Things. The digitalization of daily life in China stands out globally,” said Nijs. 

While China’s cities have achieved significant progress, Chen emphasized that the next frontier lies in rural areas. "As the Internet empowerment in China’s urban development achieved success, the country is now using the Internet to empower rural development."

Nijs, who now runs a permaculture farmhouse in Southwest China’s Yunnan Province, was content with his new role. He has seen firsthand how internet access drives rural revitalization. E-commerce platforms have expanded markets for agricultural products, while the internet has made it easier for farmers to acquire knowledge and techniques.

“I heard about permaculture online in 2017 for the first time. I started with organic farming and then discovered permaculture. Then I learned everything on the internet,” Nijs told China News Network.

Chen highlighted similar examples of how the Internet facilitates the dissemination of knowledge among farmers, such as Jiangsu Province’s Pei County, where local farmers use village WeChat groups and cloud-based broadcasts to learn practical skills like grape cultivation and pest control. These initiatives combine classroom teaching with hands-on practice, helping villagers increase their incomes.

Emerging platforms like subscription-based agriculture are also building bridges between farmers and consumers. “Consumers can now ‘adopt’ crops or livestock online and monitor the growing or rearing process in real-time,” Chen said. 

Since China launched the Digital Village Strategy in 2018, internet infrastructure and digital culture have gradually expanded into rural areas, Chen pointed out. Currently, the annual transaction volume of a major e-commerce platform in China exceeds 3 trillion yuan, with a significant share coming from agricultural products. “The internet’s role in driving rural economic growth is increasingly apparent,” Chen added.

Digitization spurs green development in rural areas

“China is moving quickly and speedily integrating this new technology, but my main concern is the fact that nowadays many people have lost contact with nature. So we should try to find a way to combine digital technologies and nature,” said Nijs.

Nijs believes technologies like IoT and artificial intelligence can be integrated into everyday agricultural practices. “China’s vast agricultural landscape can benefit from precision farming, enabled by internet-based climate forecasting and disaster prediction services,” Chen explained.

On his Yunnan farm, Nijs is piloting AI-driven tools and drones for tasks like digital mapping and farm management. Similarly, Chen pointed to the Agricultural Meteorology Center in Anhui Province, which has developed a big data platform combining agricultural and meteorological data. Platforms of this kind provide valuable weather insights to farmers, while technologies like sensors and IoT enable real-time monitoring of soil moisture, temperature, and sunlight to optimize crop growth conditions.

As green agriculture expands, rural tourism, such as farm stays, is becoming increasingly popular among urban dwellers. Chen noted that internet-enabled rural tourism could help bridge the urban-rural divide and create new rural development opportunities.

Nijs, who is developing an eco-tourism project in Yunnan for expats in China, aims to combine economic growth with environmental education. By promoting rural economies and helping people reconnect with nature, we can raise awareness about sustainable farming, said the former Belgian ambassador.

“Cities can build integrated economic hubs, and rural areas can develop pastoral complexes,” Chen concluded. "Rooted in China’s rich cultural heritage and enhanced by advanced digital technology, these initiatives can foster rural development in a uniquely Chinese way."