By Jin Xin, Gu Chun, and Liu Junguo, The 2023 World Internet Conference (WIC) Wuzhen Summit kicked off in Wuzhen, east China’s Zhejiang province on Nov. 8. The summit is the largest and highest-level Internet conference held in China, and also a highly anticipated global summit in the field of Internet.
The WIC has been held annually since 2014, bringing together political dignitaries and Internet elites from around the world at its permanent venue in Wuzhen to discuss collaboration and win-win cooperation in Internet development of the world.
Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the 2023 WIC Wuzhen Summit via video. He said as the Internet becomes a new driving force of development, a new frontier of ensuring security, and a new platform for mutual learning between civilizations, the building of a community with a shared future in cyberspace is a natural choice in answering the call of the times and a common aspiration of the international community.
He stressed that the international community needs to deepen exchanges and practical cooperation to jointly advance the building of a community with a shared future in cyberspace to a new stage.
Currently, more than half of the countries and regions around the world are using China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), and the system is making people’s lives safer, more convenient, and more efficient.
The BDS has been incorporated into the standard systems of international organizations in civil aviation, maritime affairs, and mobile communications, and is accelerating its integration into the international industrial system.
During the 2022 WIC Wuzhen Summit, an event was hosted to showcase the exemplary cases of building a community with a shared future in cyberspace. Twelve cases were showcased, including one related to the BDS.
From conceptual documents to initiatives, and to cases, consensuses have gradually transformed into concrete actions. Leveraging the WIC Wuzhen Summit, countries are jointly planning for the global development of the Internet and building a community with a shared future in cyberspace.
On July 12, 2022, Xi sent a congratulatory letter to the WIC for the inauguration of the WIC international organization. He said the establishment of the organization is an important move echoing the informatization trend of the times, and it will deepen international exchanges and cooperation in cyberspace.
This marked a qualitative leap of the WIC, from an annual international conference to an international organization with a permanent institution. Since its establishment, the WIC international organization has been joined by more than 120 members from countries such as the UK, France, Germany, the United States, Australia, South Korea, Japan, and India.
In recent years, an increasing number of international exchange activities have been held in China. Together with the WIC, they have built a collaborative platform for building a community with a shared future in cyberspace.
The China International Digital Products Expo, the China International Software Expo, the World Robot Conference, and the World Artificial Intelligence Conference all presented opportunities for the international community to share the fruits of innovation in cyberspace.
As a highlight of the WIC Wuzhen Summit, the Light of Internet Expo has become a leading indicator of global Internet technology development.
Since 2014, the WIC has been dedicated to promoting the integration of digital technology and the real economy and using new driving forces to propel new development.
Not only the Light of Internet Expo, but also other important events such as a release ceremony for world-leading Internet scientific and technological achievements and the Global Internet Competition of “Straight to Wuzhen,” have facilitated the integration of mobile Internet, cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence, and various other industries. These efforts have provided new impetus for enhancing global economic development.
Taking the WIC as an opportunity, China, as a major player in the digital economy, actively promotes broader and deeper international cooperation in the digital economy, ensuring that the achievements of Internet development benefit people worldwide.
In Southeast Asia, Chinese enterprises helped build the first 5G smart hospital in ASEAN countries, promoting the intelligent transformation of hospital services. In Latin America, China has partnered with Brazil and Ecuador to utilize digital technology for innovative cooperation, assisting in the protection of the Amazon rainforest ecosystem and marine ecological environment. In Africa, China has launched technology assistance and training programs with the International Telecommunication Union to support the construction of a digital Uganda.
From the construction of information infrastructure and social digital transformation to the application of new technologies such as 5G and the Internet of Things, China is committed to narrowing the global digital divide and sharing development opportunities with the world.
In the information age, the Internet carries human dreams and is closely related to the well-being of people. Looking ahead, the WIC will always strive to build a global Internet platform for extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, actively create a new pattern of international cooperation in cyberspace, and continue to write new chapters in the global development and governance of the Internet.
