<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The provincial government of Anhui, China, has announced a plan to adopt blockchain technology across governmental service centers.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to Xinhua News Agency, Anhui </span><a href="http://m.xinhuanet.com/ah/2020-01/01/c_1125411199.htm"><span style="font-weight: 400;">published</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> a new document on Jan. 1 for optimizing the business environment within the province. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a part of the plan, all levels of governments in Anhui will start utilizing new technologies including blockchain and artificial intelligence to offer governmental services on a 24/7 basis, local media outlet Anhui News <a href="https://k.sina.com.cn/article_1943154142_73d22dde02000rsuq.html">reported</a>.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The goal, according to the document, is to digitize Anhui’s governance infrastructure and streamline the collection and sharing of government data and resources. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anhui is part of the “Yangtzu River Delta Dconomy Region,” which also covers Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang. In Dec. 2019, China’s central government </span><a href="https://www.weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404444779395023233"><span style="font-weight: 400;">published</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> a new guideline for the region to prioritize the development of blockchain, cloud computing and artificial intelligence, among other emerging technologies. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">By 2025, the guideline said, the region should contribute more than 3% of national research spending in these areas and 65% of overall technological progress.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At the same time, Anhui’s Securities Regulatory Commission has begun an awareness campaign against financial scams, with a focus on illegal blockchain and cryptocurrency initiatives, the agency </span><a href="http://www.csrc.gov.cn/anhui/gzdt/202001/t20200106_369170.htm"><span style="font-weight: 400;">announced</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> on Jan. 6. The campaign echoes the center’s recently </span><a href="https://www.theblockcrypto.com/linked/51581/beijing-authorities-issue-warning-firms-must-not-conduct-crypto-business"><span style="font-weight: 400;">toughened stance</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> on crypto-focused businesses. </span></p>