The Summit Forum on Trends and Latest Developments of Digital Trade was held during the 2020 CIFTIS on the morning of September 5. Xiao Yaqing, Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Huai Jinpeng, Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group and Executive Vice President of China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), and Ji Lin, Chairman of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, delivered speeches at the forum.
In his speech, Xiao Yaqing remarked that China's digital economy has grown by leaps and bounds thanks to the united efforts of people from all walks of life. With its contribution to GDP reaching a new level, the digital sector now has a firmer foundation. Different industrial sectors have also picked up speed in digitalization, and international cooperation in this area progressed steadily. Noting 2020 is the last year of the 13th five-year plan period and a critical year for kicking off a new journey in the upcoming five-year period, Xiao highlighted the formulation of high-quality five-year plans for big data, software, information and communication and other industries under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. He called for greater efforts to better implement the strategy for the innovative development of industrial Internet, accelerate manufacturing transformation and upgrade, improve market-based allocation of data as a factor of production, and better protect data and cyber security. Cooperation would also be strengthened in a sustained and open manner so as to contribute Chinese wisdom and solutions to help advance the digital economy.
Huai Jinpeng described digital trade as a symbol of the digital age, a typical example of how science and technology can empower people, and also the way forward for trade, calling digitalization the hope for mitigating the impacts of the epidemic and hedging the downward economic pressure. Deeming global trust and cooperation as the cornerstone for digital trade, he urged joint efforts to build the digital governance system, align multilateral and regional rules on digital trade, and step up organizational and institutional innovation, so as to share the fruits of digital trade by promoting open source and greater openness. Having established close ties with many international sci-tech organizations, CAST is assisting in digital trade development by leveraging the international innovation network, building synergy between different sectors and cultivating professionals in the digital sector. Looking forward to working with various parties on the Innovation China platform, Huai emphasized the important role of digital trade in generating new vitality, creating new growth engines, and facilitating the delivery of global services for shared prosperity.
Ji Lin thanked friends at home and abroad for supporting Beijing's development. He said, the digital wave mainly powered by new-generation information and communication technology is sweeping across the world. As the national center for sci-tech innovations, Beijing views developing digital economy and digital trade as the strategic choice to push forward its high-quality development. Going forward, the capital city will move faster in building the demonstration zone for high-quality digital trade, and improve the different links in the production and transaction process through such technology as block chain, AI and big data. It will foster new business forms and models for service-oriented manufacturing at a faster pace, and cultivate a batch of leading and unicorn companies in the digital sector that lead the market and have global influence. It will also establish a sustainable, open and thriving digital trade system to create a new engine driving economic and social development.
Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Bingnan and Deputy Editor-in-chief of People's Daily Zhao Jiaming addressed the summit forum. The winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics Joseph Stiglitz, and Li Daokui, member of the Standing Committee and the Committee for Economic Affairs of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, gave keynote speeches. The Summit Forum on Trends and Latest Developments of Digital Trade is one of the four summit forums of 2020 CIFTIS. Representatives from leading companies, experts and scholars specializing in the field of Internet, IoT and digital economy were invited to discuss the opportunities and challenges faced in this area. Participants also exchanged views on new ideas, new models and new directions for digital trade development, and on building a global platform of dialogue, communication, cooperation and development for digital economies.
Vice Governor of Shanxi Province Lu Dongliang was present at the summit forum.
(Reporter: Gao Zhi)
