Week 26 2020 - Top 3 Smart City News in Asia
Kris Villanueva-Libunao, PMP
Ethical Smart Cities | Ex-Undersecretary & Deputy to the National Security Adviser | Digital Gov & Smart City Advisor | Professor
People and Environment-First Smart City is the Post-Covid Cities in China
Tencent is creating a "smart city" in Shenzhen that will put people and the environment first. Net City, the project's architect, said it could be applied to other urban developments after the coronavirus.
Source: wsj
Even if AI use in China and elsewhere has raised concerns about data privacy and surveillance during the pandemic, Net City will still use technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous vehicles. More than 500 smart cities are being built across China, with sensors, cameras, and other gadgets equipped with data. It will also prioritize sustainability by reducing car use and planning around the needs of people.
Indonesia to start construction of a new capital city in 2021
The Indonesian Government is slated to begin construction of the new capital city in Penajam Paser regency, East Kalimantan, in 2021. The capital city relocation project is scheduled to start despite the economic downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Government is currently not in the position to say whether it will go ahead with the capital relocation project, as it was busy handling the coronavirus outbreak in the country, two ministers said.
Source: nasional.tempo.co/
It is also reported that the new capital city would adopt smart city technology and be eco-friendly. In 2021, the Indonesian Government will also continue the construction of the Sepaku Semoi Dam, the main water supply for the new capital city, as planned. It allocated Rp 676.72 billion (S$66 million) from the 2020 annual state budget for construction of the 378-hectare dam. The dam is expected to have a capacity of 11.6 million cubic meters.
https://www.asiaone.com/asia/indonesian-government-start-construction-new-capital-city-next-year
Beijing is Shaping the Global Tech Standards
Gaps in Internet access equity across the Indo-Pacific show that Australia and the U.S. can collaborate. Foreign and defense secretaries and U.S. and Australian ministers should consider how both countries can help shape a robust regional digital infrastructure.
Source: Yahoo Finance
Digital access is crucial to economic growth, global communication, and national security. Data flow across borders now impacts GDP growth more than physical goods traffic. China's long-standing goal of achieving innovation-driven growth was apparent. BRI 's global expansion is dubbed the Digital Silk Road. This project aims to build "a community of common destiny in cyberspace."
Moreover, since 2013, an estimated U.S. $17 billion has been invested in Chinese digital expansion projects. Since 2013, Chinese digital expansion projects have spent an estimated US$ 17 billion. The 5G architecture is at the core of China's economic recovery strategy. State-run technology firms have viewed COVID-19 as an opening to sell surveillance technology to emerging markets.
The report also noted Beijing's growing ambition to shape global technology standards, which led an active, state-centered approach to their development.
According to the article, the danger is that new standards for emerging technologies could be designed to favor Beijing, now that most of Indo-Pacific's digital infrastructure depends on China's supply chains.
With the above, the article put emphasis on Australia and the U.S. to have their own digital programs and that both nations should do more in the Indo-Pacific region.
https://www.innovationaus.com/ausmin-and-the-indo-pacifics-digital-future/