- Speakers Highlight the Potential of Digital Silk Road
- Digital Silk Road shares the dividends of digital economic development.
- China also hopes to deepen cooperation on digital technology innovation
- The Digital Silk Road is an essential part of the BRI, promotes cross-border e-commerce
- Digital Silk Road will help in eliminating digital poverty and the digital divide.
- Digital Silk Road will improve the digital capabilities of all nations, harnessing the benefits of technology, and promoting common development in terms of connectivity and shared prosperity.
Xi’an: Digital Silk Road Development Forum 2024 commenced on April 16 in city of Xi’an, the starting point of ancient Silk Road, and the capital of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province.
The World Internet Conference (WIC) Organization, together with Shaanxi provincial government hosted the forum which aims to build a new framework for international cooperation through dialogue and exchanges.
The theme of forum 2024 was “Strengthen Interconnectivity Cooperation and Common Prosperity” with focus on extensive exchanges and discussions on three topics: “Building the Silk Road through Digital Connectivity”, “International Cooperation on Silk Road E-commerce” and “Digital Countryside and Sustainable Development”.
China aims continue to deepen exchanges and cooperation with Belt and Road countries in the fields of digital technology, digital infrastructure and digital market, so as to provide an international platform for communication and exchange for relevant parties of the Belt and Road to improve infrastructure, develop digital economy and bridge the digital divide, and create new opportunities for the development of the “Digital Silk Road”.
The forum focused on the “Belt and Road” international data cooperation, trade facilitation, e-commerce services and logistics distribution system construction, e-commerce skills and personnel training and other topics to further tap the trade potential of countries jointly building the “Belt and Road” and expand digital economy cooperation within the region; Discussions will be held on topics such as digital technologies enabling agricultural production and promoting the improvement of rural governance, contributing wisdom and strength to rural development, eradicating global poverty, and promoting the construction of a more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable digital countryside.
This forum invited senior representatives from international organizations, governments, important companies, industry institutions, as well as renowned experts and scholars to engage in dialogue and exchange.
Wang Yong, vice chairman of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, said that the Chinese government is willing to work with all parties to promote the construction of the Digital Silk Road and share the dividends of digital economic development.
He also said that to bring the construction of a cyberspace community with a shared future to a new stage, China also hopes to deepen cooperation on digital technology innovation, strengthen digital cultural exchanges and mutual understanding, and work with all parties to create a set of digital governance rules.
By October 2023, China had signed memoranda of understanding on e-commerce cooperation and established bilateral e-commerce cooperation mechanisms with 30 countries.
Li Qingshuang, vice chairperson of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said that Silk Road e-commerce has demonstrated strong resilience and vitality, becoming a defining feature of high-quality Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation.
Li Junhua, UN under-secretary-general for economic and social affairs, said the Digital Silk Road is an essential part of the BRI. It has played an important role over the past decade in improving digital connectivity, bridging the digital divide and advancing sustainable development, among other tasks, he noted.
Zhao Houlin, former secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union, called on multiple parties to collaborate on eliminating digital poverty and the digital divide. He said that making better use of technologies such as 5G, big data and artificial intelligence is important to more effectively bridge divides.
Monthip Sriratana, director of the Digital Belt and Road International Center of Excellence in Bangkok, said that cooperation on the construction of the Digital Belt and Road is of great significance to improving the digital capabilities of all nations, harnessing the benefits of technology, and promoting common development in terms of connectivity and shared prosperity.
Nii Quaynor, chairman of Ghana Dot Com, said that the Digital Silk Road can enable opportunities for cooperation to better position the global south with regard to Internet development.
The forum upholds the core spirit of the Silk Road, emphasizing principles of peace, collaboration, openness, inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit. It aims to promote collaboration in building a Digital Silk Road, thereby forging a new platform for international economic cooperation.
The forum was organized by the WIC, and co-organized by the People’s Government of Shaanxi Province of China.
By: Dr.Muhammad Arif, Editor, SRN.
