The Evolution of Policies and Mechanisms in Chinas Digital Government Initiative: A Quantitative Text Mining Approach

Within the ongoing context of social informatization, China has achieved considerable development in its digital government construction. However, there remains a lack of systematic and scientific policy review concerning Chinas digital government construction. This paper investigates 290 policies pertinent to Chinas digitalization efforts from November 1995 to July 2024. By utilizing methods including word frequency analysis, semantic network analysis, and topic clustering, it conducts a systematic examination of the policy transitions and developmental framework of Chinas digital government from 1995 to 2024. The trajectory of Chinas digital government construction policies has encompassed three distinct phases: the initialization of government informatization and e-governance, the era of the Internet Plus Government Services initiative, and the current phase of digital government construction. These policies have been modified in response to the changing priorities of government digitalization, exhibiting both continuity and adaptability, and are in synergy with the progressive establishment of a service-oriented government in China.