The World Digital Economy Forum was held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province on November 28, 2022.

Zhang Yuzhuo delivers a video speech to the World Digital Economy Forum which is held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province on November 28, 2022.

With the theme of "Contributing to the world with China’s solution", the forum was co-sponsored by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) and the Sichuan Provincial Government, and was organized by the Chengdu Municipal Government, Department of Sci-tech Innovation of CAST, Service Center for Societies of CAST and China Institute of Communications (CIC).

The Forum was supported by the organizations including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). 

With 4 topics of “Changes and opportunities”, "Scientific and technological empowerment", "Development and governance" and "Transformation and Innovation", the forum attracted 200 plus prestigious experts and scholars from the fields of global digital technology, economy, industry and others to participate on site and more than 9.4 million people to participate online.

Zhang Yuzhuo, secretary of the leading Party members group, vice president in charge of daily work and chief executive secretary of the Secretariat of CAST, delivered a video speech.

Xian Rongsheng, vice mayor of Chengdu Municipal People's Government, Gong Ke, former president of WFEO and executive director of the Chinese Institute for New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Strategies, Sohail Khan, deputy secretary-general of the SCO, delivered speeches respectively.

Zhang Guihua, member of the leading Party members group and executive secretary of the Secretariat of CAST, presided over the opening ceremony.

Zhang Yuzhuo pointed out in his speech that the current changes in the world, times and historical trends are unfolding in an unprecedented way. Digitalization, networking and intellectualization have a profound impact on the way of human production, lifestyle and social governance, and shape a new pattern of world economy and global governance.

The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) mapped out a new blueprint for Chinese modernization, putting an emphasis on  accelerating the development of the digital economy, promoting the deep integration of digital and real economy, and staying committed to China’s fundamental policy of opening up to build a community with a shared future for mankind, continued Zhang.

Zhang expected that the world will reach more consensus and achieve more substantive cooperation through exchanges of experiences in the fields of digital transformation, digital economy development among others.

Zhang noted that CAST is willing to join hands and deepen mutual understanding with all parties to create a new pattern of global digital economy development.

Zhang put forward 3 suggestions:

-- We should jointly promote digital transformation. All parties in the world should work together to accelerate the cultivation and promotion of new technologies and models, make breakthroughs in tackling basic problems in the field of digital economy, build a modern infrastructure system, and speed up digital industrialization and digitalization to provide strong support for high-quality development in the field.

-- We should work together to bridge the digital divide. We should gather joint efforts to promote connectivity in the digital era and contribute digital technologies for the public’s good. We should improve national capacity for science popularization, and enhance the digital skills and literacy of all citizens, especially the vulnerable groups to eliminate the digital gap.

-- We should jointly expand digital cooperation. We should start dialogues and promote practical cooperation to create a digital cyberspace that is fair, reasonable, open, inclusive, secure, stable, vibrant, and beneficial to the people, and shape a new global digital economy pattern that features inclusiveness, win-win cooperation, and common prosperity.

In his speech, Xian Rongsheng pointed out that the digital economy has become a key force in restructuring the global essential resources resources, reshaping the global economic structure and changing the global competition pattern. In recent years, Chengdu has deeply implemented the strategies of building China into a strong country in manufacturing and digital China to promote the deep integration of digital and real economy.

Xian noted that in 2021, the output of Chengdu's digital economy core industry exceeded 250 billion yuan, accounting for 13.0% of the city's GDP, and has become one of the main engines to promote economic growth.

Xian introduced that facing the new situations Chengdu has learned other cities’, both at home and abroad, good experiences and taken state’s strategic opportunities to develop favorable conditions for the city’s digital economy.

Xian explained further that the national strategy of building new computing infrastructures and networks in western China to provide data processing services for eastern China brought a very good opportunity for Chengdu to promote its digital industry and economic development, booming the city’s prosperity and improving its governance.

Xian hoped that this forum would bring new opportunities for relevant stakeholders to focus on major development issues, explore the path of sustainable development of digital technology, and promote the deep integration of digital and real economy.

Gong Ke stressed in his speech that the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed  weakness of the existing world economic pattern, and countries with stronger digital infrastructure can take faster and more effective response measures. The innovation drive of digital infrastructure will help the post pandemic economic recovery.

Gong added that global digital economy is an open and closely connected system. Countries should strengthen cooperation in digital economy governance and promote the construction of a new global governance order.

Gong pointed out that the realization of global sustainable development goals is an integral part of the digital economy development. The high-speed development of digital economy cannot be guaranteed without digital governance. The United Nations (UN), the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other major international organizations are carrying out work related to digital economy governance, with the main goal of formulating international rules in cyberspace, improving global governance capabilities, promoting sustainable economic, cultural and social development, and eliminating the digital divide and digital barriers.

Gong hoped that all countries will stimulate the vitality of digital cooperation, work together to create an open, inclusive, fair, just and non-discriminatory digital economy development environment to promote international cooperation in digital industrialization and industry digitalization, and release the potential of digital economy to promote global growth. Gong expected the achievements of digital economic development benefit the people of all countries.

In his speech, Sohai Khan emphasized that the World Digital Economy Forum aims to address the priorities in the field of digital economy -- digital transformation and innovation, digital management and development, and digital technology.

Khan added that the holding of the forum shows that China is determined to continue to open its market, improve terms of trade and develop cooperation in the economic field, which is of great significance for promoting economic cooperation and seeking new directions for economic development.

Khan said that emerging digital technologies and innovations have injected strong impetus into global development and played an important role in improving the quality of life of the whole society.

Khan continued that digital technology will transform and upgrade the interaction between national structure, business circle and society to a new level, and digital economy will gradually become the engine of economic and industrial growth.

Khan believed that close cooperation between China and the SCO countries in talent training in the field of digital economy is very important. The SCO attaches great importance to strengthening cooperation in digital economy and is willing to promote better practice and cooperation among SCO member states in the fields of digital economy, electronic trade, human resources and human training.

During the reporting session, Jiang Xiaojuan, member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), vice chairman of the commission of social construction, and former deputy secretary of the State Council, Chen Jing, academician of the CAE, Sir Danny Alexander, vice president for policy and strategy of the AIIB, Eric Maskin, 2007 Nobel laureate in economics and professor of economics and mathematics of Harvard University), Zhang Yaqin, dean of the Institute for AI Industry Research of Tsinghua University and academician of the CAE, Bai Chong'en, dean of the School of Economics and Management of Tsinghua University and chairman of the executive committee of the Global Asset Management Forum (GAMF), Luo Xiangang, academician of the CAE, director of the Institute of Optics and Electronics of the CAS, Cai Guangzhong, vice president and president of Southwest China of Tencent group, Mei Hong, academician of the CAS and president of the China Computer Federation (CCF), Wen Jixu, secretary general of the Trade and Economic Multifunctional Platform for SCO Countries, James Heckman, 2000 Nobel laureate in economics and professor of economics and law of the University of Chicago, Luigi Gambardell, president of the ChinaEU digital association, Chen Guoping, vice president and member of the leading Party members group of State Grid, Wang Huiyao, founder and president of Center for China & Globalization (CCG) and former counsellor of the State Council, Dr. Pei Sai Fan, visiting professor of the National University of Singapore (NUS) and former director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) Academy, and Bruno Bernard, academician of the Academies of Belgium (Academies Royal de Belgique), totally 16 experts and scholars delivered excellent reports respectively.

The reporting session was chaired by Liu Guirong, deputy director of the Service Center for Societies of CAST.

The World Digital Economy Forum is held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province on November 28, 2022.

The World Digital Economy Forum has been held for three times. The forum is based in China and has an international perspective. Focusing on the goal of jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind, the forum provides an opportunity of get-together for top intellectual experts in the global digital economy. It focuses on major development issues of common concern to international community, and creates a platform for global exchange and cooperation. Through the forum the experts present their ideas on how  digital technology can make global sustainable development achievable, in which way to promote cooperation for global digital economy, and explore the strategy for making contributions to global economic recovery and sustainable development.

Tag: Department of Sci-tech Innovation of CAST, Service Center for Societies of CAST, International Conference