Chinese vice-premier calls for global joint efforts to build digital future

HANGZHOU -- Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang has stressed the need for the international community to jointly deal with problems such as the digital divide and a grave cybersecurity situation, and to build a better digital future.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in his keynote speech on Wednesday while attending the opening ceremony of the 2024 World Internet Conference (WIC) Wuzhen Summit.

China has been sharing the opportunities of modernization with countries around the world and injecting strong impetus into global modernization, Ding said.

He also noted that technological breakthroughs regarding the internet, big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain are continuously emerging, empowering economic and social development.

However, the digital divide continues to widen, and the situation of cybersecurity has become more severe, Ding said, adding that the international community is in greater need than ever of jointly advancing a community with a shared future in cyberspace.

Ding made a series of proposals at the event: improving global governance and upholding true multilateralism in cyberspace; promoting cooperation in AI, big data, blockchain and other realms, while advancing collaborative efforts in basic research and cutting-edge technologies; promoting the sharing of internet development achievements around the world and assisting developing countries in advancing their informationization; and boosting the efficacy of and cooperation on cyberspace security.

Senior leaders of Honduras, Zambia and Vietnam also delivered speeches at the opening ceremony, which was attended by over 1,800 people, including representatives of domestic and foreign government officials, relevant international organizations, internet companies, as well as experts and scholars.

After the opening ceremony, Ding visited a themed internet expo and a museum for world internet sci-tech in Wuzhen, and interacted with exhibition participants.

The 2024 WIC Wuzhen Summit kicked off on Wednesday morning in the ancient water town of Wuzhen in East China's Zhejiang province. The Summit is scheduled to close on Friday.