CCTV:
The theme of the conference is "Developing the Digital Economy for Openness and Shared Benefits." I would like to know why the host decided on such a theme. And can you brief us on the development of China's digital economy? Based on the theme, will there be any different contents we can expect to see in this year's conference? Are there any new cooperative projects? Thank you.
Ren Xianliang:
Let me answer your questions. The G20 Digital Economy Development and Cooperation Initiative, initiated by China at last year's G20 summit, was the first digital economy policy document ever endorsed by the G20 leaders. It has aroused great attention from the international community. At the Second World Internet Conference, President Xi put forward "four principles" and "five proposals", calling for building a community of a shared future in cyberspace.
Over the past two decades since China first fully gained access to the internet in 1994, it has become a giant in the field, developing a brilliant digital economy. The digital economy has emerged as a leader in driving innovative development of the national economy. In 2016, China's digital economic aggregate reached 22.4 trillion yuan, accounting for 30.1 percent of GDP. The volume of e-commerce transactions reached 26 trillion yuan. Online retail business has seen average annual growth of 30 percent. The number of Chinese netizens has reached 750 million. Alibaba and JD.com both reported new records in Singles' Day sales last weekend. Trade on Alibaba's Tmall platform hit 168.2 billion yuan during this particular shopping spree, and that at JD.com was 127.1 billion yuan. These are world-leading performances.
The highlights of this year's conference can be described as follows. First, highlighting innovation. At the session on cutting-edge technology, which is new this year, attendees can discuss such topics as artificial intelligence and shared economy, addressing the future trend of the global internet. Second, highlighting shared benefits. At the session on the internet and society, we will, following the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, discuss the roles the internet plays in poverty alleviation and disaster reduction as well as the issue of cultural protection. Third, highlighting the expected international impact. This year, we will co-organize some events with the GSM Association and the World Intellectual Property Organization so as to expand international engagement. I think you should pay special attention to the release of the advanced technological achievements at the conference. Last year, we made the first release. This year, we have received many applications for release from innovative companies around the world. Now, we have collected nearly 1,000 advanced technological achievements for shortlisting, and will announce the most innovative, cutting-edge ones at the conference.
Phoenix TV:
Can you tell us which world-famous internet firms will attend the conference? And how has the international community responded to the Chinese approach to internet development? Is there a timetable for companies like Google to come back to China and firms like Facebook to make an entry? Thanks.
Ren Xianliang:
Thank you. The Chinese internet firms Alibaba, Tencent, JD and Baidu-- which are among the top ten internet firms across the globe -- will attend the conference with their respective CEOs, namely, Jack Ma, Ma Huateng (Pony Ma), Robin Li and so on. Foreign firms, like Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle, Qualcomm, Intel, IBM, Bloomberg, Dell and SAP also take the conference very seriously and will send their executives to attend.
As for Google and Facebook, (you can refer to) General Secretary Xi Jinping's pledge at the press conference after the 19th National Congress of the CPC that China would unswervingly open up further. In addition, he also promised to build a cyberspace community of a common future at the Second World Internet Conference. You can see that we are wide open to the world, including the internet sector. We have always been open to foreign internet firms which come to China to share the rewards of China's development and the achievement of China's reform. Of course, we also require and hope that these firms abide by China's rules and regulations, and we will protect their rights accordingly. That's all. Thank you.
Zhejiang Daily:
We know that the World Internet Conference has been hosted in Zhejiang three times and has become an influential meeting both in China and abroad. What benefits will such a high-level and large-scale meeting bring to the local people in the province?
Ge Huijun:
You have raised a very good question. The conference has become an important meeting for the global internet sector and has drawn global attention to Wuzhen and Zhejiang, unleashing an increased spill-over effect. The conference has brought more opportunities to the development of Zhejiang and great benefits to the local people. I want to amplify this point by sharing the benefits of the "Internet Plus" project with you.
The "internet plus life" project allows people to enjoy the convenience brought by the internet. In Zhejiang, cellphone use has made everyday life more convenient. Using apps makes public transport, dining, entertainment and shopping much easier. From large shopping malls to street hawkers, payments can be made just by scanning a QR code.
The "internet plus medical care" project can offer local residents medical services at home. The medical care appointment platform in Zhejiang has developed rapidly as it serves more than 8 million registered users with access to 300 hospitals. Local people can make an appointment at home. In addition to the Wuzhen Internet Hospital, many other hospitals have developed their online medical care. For instance, Zhoushan, an island in Zhejiang, has an online hospital by which local people can be given high-quality medical care through online interviews and diagnosis without leaving home.
"Internet plus judicature" refers to the resolution of online disputes. China established its first internet court in Hangzhou, in east China's Zhejiang Province, on Aug. 18 this year. Up to Nov. 7, the court had received 5,753 cases, of which 3,592 have been officially filed. These realized online trial and judgment, offering results through the internet.
"Internet plus government service" enhances government efficiency and ensures that people gain a greater sense of gains. Based on promoting information-sharing, this reform enables the public to enjoy one-stop services and creates a new dimension of government administration. By the end of September, a total of 773 of 797 identified items had achieved such reform, representing 96.99 percent of the total. This was well ahead of the scheduled target of 80 percent.
These aspects I have mentioned are just a few of those being undertaken to improve people's sense of gains, and new stories of the "Internet Plus" in the current Internet Era are being created every day. In Zhejiang Province, the "Internet of Everything" is certainly happening.
Thank you.
Kyodo News:
My question is about the "digital economy", a keyword of the theme of the conference. Foreign-funded enterprises are concerned about China's request that they should keep the computer towers they use to collect big data within China. Could you tell us about big data and foreign-funded enterprises?
Ren Xianliang:
Thank you for your question. Clear-cut policies on big data and foreign-funded enterprises have been made in China's Cybersecurity Law. It stipulates that personal information and important data collected and generated in the People's Republic of China must be stored within its borders. If they are to be stored or transferred overseas, they must undergo security assessment processes. I would like to explain this stipulation. First, it is imposed exclusively on key information infrastructure operators, not all the network operators. Second, it applies only to personal information and important data, not all the data. The importance of the data is measured relative to the country, not any enterprise or individual. Third, the law allows for an institutional arrangement if the data needs to be transferred overseas. If they are proved to be non-harmful to national security and the public interest in the arranged assessment, they are allowed to be transferred overseas. Fourth, personal information can be transferred overseas if permitted by its subjects. The transfer of the personal information generated in international calls, emails and cross-border online shopping is considered to have been permitted by its subjects, thus not being restricted by the stipulation.
People.com.cn:
Wuzhen is famous for being a "water resort south of the Yangtze River." And the internet has also left an indelible mark through it becoming home to the World Internet Conference. I wonder how has Tongxiang City (where Wuzhen is a subordinate county) positioned and planned Wuzhen in terms of tourism and the internet and in expanding the role of the two sectors?
Sheng Yongjun:
Good afternoon, and thanks for the question. As Wuzhen was chosen to be the permanent site of the World Internet Conference [in 2014], we in Tongxiang take great pride in this. It is a key development opportunity for us, as well as a duty and responsibility looking to the future. Regarding Wuzhen, we will preserve its legacy and keep on showcasing the essence of Chinese civilization and the culture specific to areas south of the Yangtze River. Meanwhile, as it is home to the World Internet Conference, we will also make sure Wuzhen demonstrate its "newness." We will let the virtual world of the internet converge with the real world of Wuzhen to provide the ancient town with ever-growing vitality that keeps pace with the times.
We have a very clear plan for developing the tourism industry in Wuzhen. First, raising the quality, namely, we will keep on providing tourism products that feature rich culture, vitality and innovation. Second, expansion. In other words, we will stick to an all-encompassing approach to build a greater Wuzhen scenic area. Third, extension. We will develop other big tourist attractions in Tongxiang to enable interaction between them and Wuzhen. Fourth, spillover effect. We will ensure Tongxiang benefits from the spillover effect of Wuzhen's tourism industry so as to ensure its development as a large scenic area.
As the permanent site of the World Internet Conference, we will promote Wuzhen's development from three perspectives.
First, we will make it a site showcasing the internet development history of China and the world. The town is a witness to the internet revolution and also a promoter of internet culture. We will make the town a place where people can experience the internet's past and present and anticipate its future.
Second, we will make Wuzhen a site that displays the latest internet technologies. We will do our best to facilitate the emergence and application of cutting-edge technology. In this town, one will feel the World Internet Conference's influence on technological progress anytime and anywhere.
Third, we will make Wuzhen an incubator of high-end industries. We will pool all resources to build a complete industrial chain to attract more people and more high-end programs. We want the town to be a place where people can pursue their dreams.
In conclusion, we will seize the chance provided by the World Internet Conference and make Wuzhen the most attractive town in the world. Thank you.
Guangming Daily:
We have noted that one of this year's sub-forums is about "Safeguarding the Future: Online Protection of Underage Users". Would you please tell us the reason for establishing such a sub-forum and what has been taken into consideration?
Ren Xianliang:
Thank you for your concern for minors, which has always been a focal point of concern by Guangming Daily. Minors are the main force of the future of the internet, and teenagers are also described as its "original inhabitants". The development of the internet has profoundly and comprehensively affected the development of our economy and society. As there is a tremendous amount of information available on the Internet, sometimes it is hard to avoid a mingling of good and bad, which can possibly affect teenage physical and mental health.
China attaches great importance to the protection of minors amid the development of the internet, and we have also enacted relevant laws and regulations. By establishing such a sub-forum in the forthcoming World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, we will work together with other countries to deal with common challenges created by the development of the internet, better protect minors, and build a community of shared future in cyberspace. To ensure clean cyberspace, the participating countries will learn from each other, communicate with each other and draw on each other's experiences. Thank you.
Reuters:
Recently, a U.S. NGO put out a report ranking China's internet the least free internet in the world. I am considering a large part of the conference will have to do with the national governance of the internet. How do you view these ideas, and how do you feel about reconciling them with Chinese ideas?
Ren Xianliang:
Thank you for your question. The internet has blazed a development path with Chinese characteristics in China. Fairly speaking, for the past 20-plus years, the internet development in China has proved that China has successful experience in its governance. While we are advocating the free flow of internet information, we are requiring order. We not only let it flow freely, but also in an orderly way. Just as the journalist with the Guangming Daily mentioned just now, we should protect individual information like protecting teenagers. National internet safety is a shared topic for the U.S. and European countries, just as the governance of the rampancy of fake news and rumors is a common issue facing all of us. On the one hand, we should allow information flow freely on the internet, but on the other hand, we need to discuss how to make information flow more orderly. Thank you.
CGTN:
It has been one year since Zhejiang received approval to establish the country's first information economy demonstration area, which has been jointly authorized by the Cyberspace Administration of China and the National Development and Reform Commission during the Third World Internet Conference. What progress has been made in the demonstration area and what are the next steps? Thank you.
Ge Huijun:
Thank you for your question and your attention to the development of the national information economy demonstration area in Zhejiang. Last year, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAV), together with the National Development and Reform Commission (SDPC), approved the establishment of China's first national information economy demonstration area in Zhejiang, which has brought wonderful opportunities for Zhejiang's information economic development. The Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the CPC and Zhejiang provincial government attach immense importance to the information economy and reckon it as the top among its "Eight Trillion-Level Industries" and has introduced related policies and set the stage to boost its development over the year. A lot of progress has been made since then. I will brief you on a collection of data to illustrate this.
In the first three quarters of this year, GDP growth hit 8.1 percent in Zhejiang. The value-added contribution of core industries in the information economy exceeded 345.4 billion yuan (US$52 billion), growing by 15.9 percent, accounting for 9.35 percent of Zhejiang's GDP. The information economy has become the pillar industry of the province. We have to pay attention to and promote the following aspects.
First, Zhejiang is striving to become a front-runner in the "Internet Plus" technological innovation program. Last September, the provincial government united with Alibaba to set up the "Zhejiang Lab," aiming to attract more high-end corporations and talent to the province to promote the new economy.
Second, we attach great importance to cloud technology. There are many corporations engaged in this area, including HIK Vision, H3C Technologies and NetEase. At present, the province is accelerating the construction of the platforms of "Digital Zhejiang" and "Zhejiang in the Cloud."
Third, Zhejiang is expediting promotion of the new economy, new businesses and new models. Here are two examples: One is the two-year-old "Dream Town." There are more than 10,000 entities and more than 2,000 startup projects with combined capital of 168 billion yuan. The other is Yunqi, where the annual Yunqi conference is held. It has become a magnet for global internet and technology participants.
Information economy has become a new driver in the province's economic growth. It is also the main field for innovation and startup projects. We sincerely hope that, through the platforms provided by the World Internet Conference, and the national demonstration zone of the information economy, an ever-increasing number of corporations will move to Zhejiang and to Wuzhen to achieve fruitful results. Thank you.
ZJSTV.com:
The World Internet Conference has been successfully held three times, which were greatly supported by the Tongxiang government. With great changes brought by the conference, people are looking forward to better benefits from it. So what kind of benefits has the World Internet Conference brought to Tongxiang and the town of Wuzhen? Thanks.
Sheng Yongjun:
Thanks for your questions, as well as the attention from the media all the time. The benefits that the World Internet Conference has brought to Tongxiang and the town of Wuzhen could be summarized from three perspectives.
Firstly, we enhanced industrial competitiveness. With the conference as the platform for bringing together all the factors and players to converge to make a real difference, Tongxiang has further adjusted its industrial structure, improved its quality, and enhanced competiveness. In 2017, Tongxiang ranked 27th on the list of the top 100 counties in the country. The convergence of internet and third-tier and fourth-tier industries has been deepened over the past three years. Emerging industries such as smart agriculture, smart manufacturing, the integration of information technology and industrialization, and smart tourism gave a fresh impetus to the traditional industries. Over 200 internet projects such as driverless vehicles, 5G networking, and digital science have been launched in the town of Wuzhen, representing a fusion of West and East. The internet industry, with its imagination, has bred an international city.
Second, local governments' capacity for social governance has been enhanced. Through e-governance" and online license applications, we are vigorously creating a new normal of "offering one-stop government services" and "transmitting data so that the people make fewer visits." Smart policing and security have been widely applied. Self-governance, rule of law and rule of virtue are developing in a coordinated way. With the utilization of the internet, Tongxiang has established a huge network of social governance covering its total area of 727 square kilometers. In this way, our people have gained a stronger sense of benefit and security.
Third, more benefits have been delivered to the people. We have stayed true to the mission of meeting people's aspirations for a better life, seeing to it that the conference and internet tangibly benefit our people. Free Wi-Fi is available in all public places with over 13,000 IP points. Smart transport, healthcare and elderly care together with other outcomes of the intelligence transformation have made people's lives more convenient and more colorful.
Wuzhen is a window through which China communicates with the world and a ferry where the boat of dreams sails from. The ancient water town is now at the forefront of industrial development. In jointly "Building a Cyberspace Community of a Common Future," we will uphold "Spirit of the Red Boat," keep our missions in mind and strive to be a pioneer. We will make continued efforts to contribute Wuzhen's wisdom, spread its voice and create its legend.
China News Service:
What kinds of technological achievements will be highlighted at this year's conference? What's new compared to last year? Thank you.
Ren Xianliang:
Just now, I mentioned that this year's conference will be themed on "Developing the Digital Economy for Openness and Shared Benefits — Building a Cyberspace Community of a Common Future" which has the following main features, including enhanced innovation, shared benefits and internationalization. Innovation, mostly innovation in advanced technologies of the internet, especially artificial intelligence, will be the most prominent feature this year, while artificial intelligence will also be in the limelight at the conference. We welcome you to attend the releasing ceremony of advanced technological achievements we have collected from around the world and pay a visit to the Light of the Internet Expo. A lot of technological outcomes will be showcased at the expo and I will not list them one by one here.
We have collected nearly 1,000 technological achievements covering different sectors related to Internet, including informatization, smart cities, big data, artificial intelligence, 5G communication technology and quantum technology. All of them I believe you will find fresh and new. I believe you will find topics you are most interested in. Thank you.
Hu Kaihong:
This is the end of today's conference. Thank you to the three contributors and thank you to the reporters.