By most accounts, China has more smart city projects than any other region. Even so, many Westerners assume that the U.S. and Europe will be the leaders in digital government and e-services. Here's a story from China Daily that suggests otherwise. – Jesse Berst, Smart Cities Council Chairman
Liuzhou in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region is on the fast track to build itself into a smart city. Chen Yunbao, an official from the city’s e-government department, cites next-generation technology such as cloud computing as the driving force, according to the China Daily.
Because both government and private enterprise are adopting technology so rapidly, they are creating a platform for e-government. Those digital government services include (or will include) applications such as "WeChat" to involve citizens in "tackling low-level crime."
Liuzhou expects to have 100% of its public information online by 2015 and to deliver 90% of its permits and licenses digitally. All nearby townships and counties are building e-government platforms and applications, which are expected to reach 80% of the region's population. And 90% of the region's key businesses will be automated or semi-automated by the 2015 target date.