China.org.cn | September 22, 2020
Bauhinia Magazine:
We all know that Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian province, is an important city along the Maritime Silk Road. My questions are: What role will the Digital China Summit, known as a foundation for global cooperation, play in building the Digital Silk Road? And, what achievements has it made in recent years? Thank you.
You Mengjun:
Thank you very much for your questions and interest in Fuzhou. Five years ago, the city was designated as one of the strategic hubs of the development of the Maritime Silk Road. From then on, we have kept firmly in mind the Party Central Committee's plans and strived to add new substance to the summit and enhance its influence, so as to share the benefits of digital economy development with other countries and regions along the Maritime Silk Road.
There are two major points which demonstrate the role played by the summit in building the Digital Silk Road:
First, it has promoted the communication and interaction of ideas and thoughts related to the digital world. Proposals regarding the Belt and Road Initiative and the application of digital technologies were deliberated during the previous summits by leading entrepreneurs, investment institutions and high-level experts and scholars. Thanks to such exchanges, the concept of the Digital Silk Road has been promoted, and a wide consensus has been reached that digital technologies can empower social and economic development.
Second, it has stimulated the cooperation and application of digital technologies. Agreements on digital projects were reached during the previous summits, fostering cooperation among countries and regions along the Maritime Silk Road in sectors of business, trade, finance, education and culture. Local Fuzhou enterprises have received positive results from their various explorations. For example, the digital products of NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited have reached over 100 million users in more than 190 countries. The Newland Group has spread mobile payment technology to almost all countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. In addition, the one-stop purchase model of Yonghui Superstores has been welcomed by both retailers and customers, thanks to its construction of global supply chains for consumer goods.
It has been proved that countries and regions along the Maritime Silk Road are looking to share in the dividends produced by the new generation of information technologies, illustrated by the high demand for smart cities and digital applications. Therefore, we hope to take advantage of the summit to reinforce mutual trust and cooperation and share the dividends of advanced digital technologies with countries along the Maritime Silk Road through exploration of new technologies, new business forms and models.
Thank you.