.

Speakers:

Liu Liehong, vice minister of the Cyberspace Administration of China

Zhu Guoxian, member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Zhejiang Provincial Committee, head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee

Sheng Yongjun, secretary of the CPC Tongxiang Municipal Committee in Zhejiang province

Chairperson:

Xi Yanchun, spokesperson of the State Council Information Office

Date:

September 18, 2019

Xi Yanchun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Welcome to this conference. The sixth World Internet Conference (WIC) will be held soon in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province. To help you gain more understanding of the event, we invited Mr. Liu Liehong, vice minister of the Cyberspace Administration of China, Mr. Zhu Guoxian, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Zhejiang Provincial Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee, as well as Mr. Sheng Yongjun, secretary of the CPC Tongxiang Municipal Committee in Zhejiang province, to this conference. They will brief us on the preparations being made for the WIC, and will answer some of your questions. 

Now, I'll give the floor to Mr. Liu Liehong. 

Liu Liehong:

Thank you, madam. Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good afternoon. Welcome to this press conference. Now, I'd like to make a brief introduction of the sixth WIC on behalf of its organizing committee. 

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The sixth WIC, co-hosted by the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Zhejiang Provincial People's Government, will be held Oct. 20-22 in Wuzhen. The theme this time is "Intelligent Interconnection for Openness and Cooperation: Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace." 

At the conference, we will further implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, uphold the four principles established by General Secretary Xi Jinping for making progress in the transformation of the global internet governance system, and carry out his five proposals on jointly building a community of shared future in cyberspace. The ideas of openness, equality, mutual trust and a win-win situation will also be highlighted. The conference will serve as a platform for all sides to exchange views, build consensus and seek cooperation. 

More than 1,500 guests will attend the conference at our invitation. They are all important figures in governments, international organizations, leading enterprises, technical groups and non-governmental organizations. Presently, preparations for the conference are almost complete. Compared with previous years, this session has some special features as will now be outlined.

First, the conference will adopt a new structure. The previous sessions were arranged with a "1+2" structure, i.e. a sub-forum section plus a section to release world leading scientific and technological achievements and an expo section. This year, the conference will be arranged with a "1+3" structure, with the addition of a new section entitled "Straight to Wuzhen" Global Internet Competition. 

Based on previous sessions, the release of world leading internet scientific and technological achievements this time will display an even opener attitude and closely follow the advances of cutting-edge internet technologies. Around 15 top achievements will be highlighted. 

The Light of Internet Expo will be held in a new venue with a total floor space of some 40,000 square meters. It will stage various activities, including the release of new products and technologies, as well as providing space for business negotiations, to help enterprises seek development and accelerate the progress of their various projects.

The "Straight to Wuzhen" Global Internet Competition will focus on business startups and innovation initiatives in the internet sector. It is committed to making itself a renowned international competition for emerging industries and the digital economy. During the conference, a final will be held, and the winners will be awarded. The section will help boost cooperation and innovation in the global internet sector, and encourage business startups in this field.

Liu Liehong:

Second, the conference has sought to enhance its attractiveness. This year, it will present more diversified contents. Focusing on the four major subjects: "Science and Technology", "Industry and Economy", "Humanity and Society". as well as "Cooperation and Governance", it will feature 20 sub-forums, inviting guests from all walks of life to exchange ideas and insights, thus helping to pool wisdom from around the globe. Meanwhile, in addition to a series of well-recognized forums, such as a ministerial forum and business leaders' dialogue, a number of high-level and quality forums will be held. In regard to topics, a number of targeted and forward-looking discussions will be held to address hot issues like AI, 5G and open source chips, cutting-edge topics like industry digitalization, financial technology and industry internet, as well as issues of concern of all parties, like data governance in cyberspace and international cyber rules.

Third, the conference has become more international. With this international vision, the organization and preparations of the conference involve cooperation with renowned international organizations and think tanks. This has involved joining hands with more than 40 international organizations including the United Nations organizations and institutions, the World Economic Forum and GSMA. As a result, a number of high-level dialogues and forums will be held to promote further consensus. Participants of this year's conference will be of a higher level and drawn from various fields, including representatives of governments, leaders of Chinese and foreign enterprises, renowned experts and scholars, as well as heads of international organizations.

Ladies and gentlemen, the WIC, which has already attracted wide attention and received active responses from the global internet world, has been successfully held five times so far. In around one month, the sixth session will open in Wuzhen. We welcome all of you to a more splendid conference. Thank you.

Xi Yanchun:

Thank you, Mr. Liu. I will now give the floor to Mr. Zhu.

Zhu Guoxian:

Thank you. Good afternoon. It is my pleasure to introduce the preparations for the sixth WIC. On behalf of the CPC Zhejiang provincial committee and the provincial government, I sincerely extend my invitation to you to visit Wuzhen and experience the distinctive culture of the ancient town as well as its progress in the digital age. In a couple of weeks, we will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The sixth WIC will definitely double our celebratory feeling. We have borne in mind the important instructions given by General Secretary Xi Jinping in regard to the WIC and his solicitude for Zhejiang province, and in accordance with his requirement of "fully tapping into the brand of the WIC", we have done all we can to prepare for a conference with a more open and inclusive manner, striving to meet our commitment of hosting a conference that is "more splendid, efficient and influential".

Many journalists present have witnessed the development of the WIC. With the experience we gained during the past five editions, this year's conference will certainly present a brand-new look with diversified contents. 

The conference will showcase the charm of a millennium-old town brimming with modern features. Over the past six years, Wuzhen has taken on a new look as the internet industry has brought about many changes and greater prosperity. We can see landmarks of the conference, including the Wuzhen Internet International Conference and Exhibition Center, the Yunzhou Guest Service Center and the Light of the Internet Expo Center, situated along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, which is a world cultural heritage site. The brilliant Wuzhen Theatre Festival and Wucun village with its nostalgic appeal have attracted worldwide attention. A series of smart programs, such as full 5G coverage, the internet hospital, smart senior care and smart transport, have enabled Wuzhen people to feel happier with their life. Wuzhen epitomizes the inclusive development of the global internet economy.

The conference will present fresh progress in using information technology to create a better life. Items high on the agenda include showing cutting-edge technologies in the global internet industry and their power to improve human wellbeing. During the conference, well-known Chinese and foreign enterprises, including Alibaba, Tencent, Huawei, Kaspersky Lab, BMW and Epson, will display their latest technological breakthroughs at the newly-built 20,000-square-meter Light of the Internet Expo Center with a visitor capacity of 10,000. At the same time, we will introduce dozens of smart products, such as 5G long-distance driving, smart vendors, TOLED and space exploration vehicles. We will also improve our services and information management to let people better experience the power of technology.

Zhu Guoxian:

The conference will reflect the profound changes taking place in Zhejiang. The five previous conferences have influenced almost every aspect of provincial economic and social development. The officials of Zhejiang, deeply aware of the importance of the internet, have seized the opportunities presented by past conferences to enhance government efficiency, promote digital transformation, and accelerate the construction of the platforms of "Digital Zhejiang" and "Zhejiang in the Cloud." In this way, the internet has become a new engine powering high-quality growth. In the first half of this year, core industries of the provincial digital economy recorded an added value of 269.6 billion yuan (US$ 38.03 billion), up by nearly 15% year-on-year. We took more practical measures to ensure the success of such brand events as the Zhejiang Special Forum, the Business Talent Show and the Dialogue Between Internet Tycoons. Through these platforms, a great number of internet-related enterprises, projects and talents have been drawn to the province. A more open Zhejiang is sharing innovation opportunities with the rest of the world.

Friends of the media, Zhejiang is where the Red Boat set sail, the boat that honors the conclusion of the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1921. Zhejiang is also a pioneer of reform and opening-up, and an important cradle of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. As the host province, we will uphold the "Zhejiang Spirit" of "working in a down-to-earth manner, valuing integrity and harmony, pursuing opening-up for prosperity." We will make preparations in accordance with high standards to entertain our guests with a more exciting and globally influential conference. Here I would like to extend our invitation to old and new friends to visit Wuzhen to enhance friendship and enjoy a pleasant stay. I would also like to express our gratitude to our friends in the media for your long-term concern and support for Zhejiang. Thank you.

Xi Yanchun:

Thank you, Mr. Zhu. Now, let's move on to the question-and-answer session. Please identify the media outlet you represent before asking a question.