China has more smart city pilots than other countries

Beijing. February 22. Silkroadnews - China has launched more “smart city” pilot projects than any other country in the world, Xinhua reports.
According to the report of the international auditing and consulting firm Deloitte, more than 1000 “smart city” pilot projects have been implemented or being implemented around the world, about 500 of them in small and big cities in China.
According to Ma Jionglin, senior Deloitte partner, China strives to build smart cities, and the industry enjoys significant political and investment support.
In 2012, China began to implement pilot projects "smart city" to encourage use of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, improve law enforcement and improve energy efficiency of public buildings.
However, the report notes, the Chinese cities should improve their strategy, design, operation and maintenance in developing smart metropolitan areas, along with technology and infrastructure, to ensure the residents’ needs are met in an efficient and timely urban environment.
China aims to nurture 100 new smart cities from 2016 to 2020 to lead the country's urban planning and development, the report says.