Efforts urged to embrace brighter 'digital future'

China is willing to work with countries around the world to take the historical initiative in the information revolution and jointly build a community with a shared future in cyberspace, in order to make the internet better benefit people and the world, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday.

Xi made the remarks via video to the 2024 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit, which opened in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, on Wednesday.

Noting that a new wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation is rapidly advancing, Xi called for efforts to embrace digital, internet-based and smart development trends.

He also called for accelerating innovative, safe and inclusive growth in cyberspace, and jointly striving for a brighter "digital future".

Addressing the event's opening ceremony, Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang said that China will actively expand international cooperation in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, big data and blockchain, and advance foundational research and innovation globally.

The country's strong determination to build a better cyberspace not just for itself but for the global community as well has energized the digital sector, with domestic as well as international players pledging their support.

Lei Jun, founder and CEO of Chinese technology company Xiaomi, said President Xi's call for an innovative, safe and inclusive cyberspace was greatly inspiring.

He pledged that Xiaomi will continue to take a leading role in ensuring that technology and the internet contribute meaningfully to the real economy and the world.

That sentiment was echoed by Fang Ying, president of Swedish telecom giant Ericsson China, which has participated in the World Internet Conference since 2015. Fang reiterated the company's commitment to cooperating with telecommunication service providers and ecosystem partners in China and abroad to drive more good use of technology and AI.

This year's Wuzhen summit, themed "Embracing a People-centered and AI-for-good Digital Future — Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace", is expected to facilitate exchanges on hot issues like AI and cybersecurity.

John Hoffman, CEO of mobile communication industry group GSMA, said, "China has emerged as a major player in AI, thanks to big investments, strong government support and a booming tech landscape."

Guo Kaitian, senior vice-president of Tencent Holdings, said that the company will continue to develop self-reliant technologies and prioritize information security to make AI "controllable, usable and reliable".

Xinhua contributed to this story.