On August 2, the first Global Digital Economy Conference kicked off at the China National Convention Center in Beijing. Cai Qi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, delivered a speech and announced the opening of the conference. Zhuang Rongwen, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, head of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission and Minister of the Cyberspace Administration of China, Xiao Yaqing, Secretary of the Leading Party Members’ Group and Minister of Industry and Information Technology, addressed the ceremony. Chen Jining, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Mayor of Beijing, presided over the opening ceremony.

Zhuang Rongwen said that with the global economy still in a fragile recovery, the digital economy has become the key to achieving economic recovery and promoting sustainable development, and a new engine for high-quality economic development. As China has embarked on a new journey toward fully building a modern socialist country, we should keenly understand the new development stage, act on the new development philosophy, and establish the new development paradigm. We would vigorously develop the digital economy, fully release the digital dividend, and promote high-quality economic development. He proposed to build a green, low-carbon, safe, and well-regulated digital economy that drives innovation, benefits the people and promotes win-win cooperation.

Xiao Yaqing said that we would advance core technological research, build controllable, safe and reliable information technology systems, move faster to achieve breakthroughs in fields such as high-end chips and key infrastructure software, and establish a high-end technological platform for industrial generic technologies. We would accelerate the development of new digital infrastructure as well as coordinate and promote the implementation of the "Dual Gigabit" Network Coordinated Development Action Plan (2021-2023) and the 5G Application Innovation Action Plan. We would promote digital transformation of the manufacturing industry, implement the innovation-driven development project and intelligent manufacturing project on "5G + Industrial Internet" and enable digital technology to better empower small, medium, and large enterprises. We would build a healthy digital ecosystem, ensure data and network security, deepen international exchanges and cooperation, and work together to foster an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for building the digital economy.

Cai Qi extended welcome to the guests who attended the conference online and offline. He pointed out that the digital economy is an important engine of the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation. With its rich scientific and technological innovation resources, Beijing has always been playing the role as a leader for innovation and a pioneer in the industry in the process of China's digital development. In the future, Beijing will utilize the strength of its own resources, follow world-class standards, strive to be the best, present the "Beijing model" of China's digital economy development, and build Beijing into a global benchmark city.

Cai Qi stressed that we would actively advance scientific and technological research and build a global strong force for digital technology innovation. We would strengthen basic research, place focus on core technologies and apply cutting-edge technologies in advance to promote the application of innovation achievements in the whole process of digital economy development. We would gather data elements and assets to build an international hub for data distribution. We would develop a supercomputing center in the city and build the Beijing International Big Data Exchange to optimize mechanisms and policies, and break the barriers from data source, data flow to data application. We would promote industry digitalization and digital industrialization to become a leading player in the incubation of emerging digital industries. We would cultivate stronger benchmark enterprises in the digital economy to support digital transformation of enterprises and create digital industrial clusters with international competitiveness. We would also encourage the integration of digital technologies in culture, business, and tourism industries. We would step up the city's digital transformation and set up a fine example of it. We would create an all-sensing city, promote application of the achievements achieved in the high-level demonstration area of autonomous driving to other places and create digitized urban lifelines. We would actively promote digital social development and become a leading force in implementing the China plan for digital governance. We would strengthen the development of digital government and digital communities and provide more convenient digital public services. We would promote the open development of digital economy and strive to be a pacesetter for opening-up and cooperation with other countries in the digital economy. We would further deepen international cooperation, and participate in the formulation of international rules and standards in the digital field. We would expand access to the digital market, build a digital trade port with high standards and promote the development of a demonstration zone for global trade digitalization.

The Conference has strictly implemented COVID-19 prevention measures. With the theme of "Innovation-led and Data-Driven: Building a Benchmark City for Global Digital Economy", the Conference has set up one main venue and three sub-venues and organized a series of activities such as the Digital Economy Experience Week and Global Digital Economy Innovation Competition. More than 20 parallel forums and launch events were held both online and offline where great achievements such as the Implementation Plan of Beijing on Accelerating the Building of a Benchmark City for Global Digital Economy, Beijing Declaration on Building a Benchmark City for Global Digital Economy, and White Paper on Global Digital Economy were released, which aim to promote cross-disciplinary, cross-industry and cross-regional exchanges and mutual learning, and build a new platform for international cooperation and exchanges to lead the development of global digital economy.

Zhao Houlin, Secretary-General of International Telecommunication Union, Rebecca Ivey, Chief Representative of Greater China of the World Economic Forum, and other foreign representatives delivered their speeches on site or via video link. Leaders of relevant Ministries and Commissions, relevant leaders of Beijing and Lhasa of Tibet Autonomous Region, heads of relevant enterprises, institutions, agencies, and associations at home and abroad as well as experts and scholars attended the Conference online or offline.

(Reporters: Liu Feifei, Wu Hongli, Zhang Shiqi, Tian Xueyin, Fan Yu, Li Qi, Chen Jingyan)