The World Internet Conference is an annual international event jointly organized by the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Zhejiang Provincial People's Government. The conference aims to build a platform for the global internet to be shared and governed by all, and to work together for the healthy development of the internet.
In 2014, the first-ever World Internet Conference was held in the river town of Wuzhen, eastern China's Zhejiang province, and this town was then chosen as the permanent venue for the annual meeting.
The World Internet Conference has been successfully held for six years and drawn much attention from the international community. Its influence has increased year after year.
This year, the World Internet Conference · Internet Development Forum, with the theme of "Digital Empowerment for a Better Future: Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace," will take place in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, from Nov. 22 to 24. During that time, other activities including the Release of World Leading Internet Scientific and Technological Achievements in 2020, the Light of Internet Expo, and the "Straight to Wuzhen" Global Internet Competition will also be held.
According to an SCIO briefing on Nov. 2, there are three changes in this year's forum compared with previous years. First, the format of the forum has been changed. It is decided to hold the "World Internet Conference · Internet Development Forum" in the name of the World Internet Conference organizing committee, instead of organizing the 7th World Internet Conference. Second, the scale of the forum has been adjusted. Against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of guests and sub-forums as well as the duration of the conference has been revised. The forum is expected to be "small-scale but significant" and "novel and lively." Third, there are new ways to participate. Various activities will be carried out on site and via video link. A live scene will be set up in Wuzhen, and guests who cannot attend the event in person will be able to participate online.
