QR code boosts China's digital economy amid epidemic: Report

China's digital economy has gained growth momentum from QR code technology amid the COVID-19 epidemic, an industry report showed.

A consumer scans an Alipay QR code to pay for the order at a self-service restaurant in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Xinhua]

The volume of business transactions using QR codes soared by 25.86 percent year on year in the first quarter this year, according to the report jointly released by Wechat, Tencent Research Institute and Tsinghua China Data Center.

It showed that the burgeoning QR code economy will stimulate market demand for new infrastructure including big data, Internet of Things, cloud computing, 5G and artificial intelligence.

Firms with a higher level of digitalization present a greater interest in the new infrastructure, the report said.

Daily sales on mini-programs also surged 1,100 percent in February compared with that in December of last year, as large chain enterprises have innovated their marketing mode using digital tools.

Meanwhile, surging demand for non-contact services has further promoted the digital transformation of online service forms, with enterprises in industries including telecommuting, online health care and education seeing rapid development in the epidemic period.