The 2018 Smart China Expo kicked off at the Chongqing International Expo Center on Aug. 23.

People try out an unmanned driving simulator at the first Smart China Expo in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Aug. 23, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the expo. "We are currently in a period of gathering momentum for a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, with rapid changes in the new generation of information technology represented by the internet, big data and artificial intelligence," Xi said.

China is willing to actively participate in international cooperation on the digital economy and advance its healthy development together with other countries to create new drivers and new room for the world's economic growth, Xi said.

The inaugural expo is themed “Smart Technology: Empowering Economy, Enriching Life.” With the main venue covering 186,000 square meters, the expo is the largest ever in Chongqing.

The event includes not only exhibitions for cutting-edge smart technologies and products, but also conferences and forums to pool relevant insights in intelligent manufacturing, semiconductor, 5G, artificial intelligence, intelligent supercomputing and so on.

The expo also features competitions for self-driving vehicles, drones, open data application and internet plus innovation and entrepreneurship.

Moreover, reports on China's development indexes in big data and intelligence will be released at the expo, and achievements in these aspects will be showcased.

One highlight of the expo is a series of cutting-edge technologies based on big data analysis, including thought-controlled neuroprosthesis, medical nano-robots, laser-induced grapheme artificial throat, and non-invasive ablative technology that treats cancer with focused ultrasound surgery.

Participants of the expo had the opportunity to experience simulated future intelligent communities at the "wisdom experience plaza." In an outdoor exhibition area to the south of the expo center, participants could also experience living in a smart home.

The expo welcomed participants from 28 countries and regions, including 30 foreign politicians and high-ranking officials, over 80 renowned experts, 28 academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and over 380 entrepreneurs from famous enterprises. More than 500 companies attended the event.

Somdy Duangdy, Laotian deputy prime minister, said the expo has a great potential to be a platform for the communication and cooperation among different companies, countries and regions in various fields, and will help to promote the constructive development of technologies in science, information and other areas.

Goh Chok Tong, Singapore's emeritus senior minister, also gave praise to the expo, and said the expo will inspire new ideas that can make society better.

The two-day expo is organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the China Association for Science and Technology, and the Chongqing municipal government.