The project signing and economic and trade cooperation that took place during the 6th Digital China Summit will help improve and expand digital economy, and strengthen the new engine of high-quality development, said Zhang Dingfeng, executive vice mayor of the Fuzhou Municipal People's Government.

Zhang made the remarks during a press conference held on Thursday, concluding the achievements made during the summit. The summit, held on April 27 to 28 in Fuzhou City, southeast China's Fujian Province, focused on showcasing the latest achievements of the Digital China initiative and on sharing experiences in digital development.

With contracts signed on 52 key digital economy projects, a total investment of 58.1 billion yuan (about $ 8.4 trillion) was signed during the summit, and the average investment per project increased 30 percent compared with last year, according to Zhang.

The projects covered electronics manufacturing industry, software technology services, new infrastructure and other fields. 

The two-day event included a main forum and 20 sub-forums, with scholars and leading industry insiders discussing topics focusing on data resources, digital governance, smart energy and artificial intelligence.

Over 12,000 people signed up for the sub-forums, and nearly 50 achievements were made, including the releasing of more than 20 reports, publishing five cases of improving people's digital literacy and skills, and setting up a smart energy cooperation platform.

The summit attracted representatives from over 30 embassies and consulates in China, international organizations, scientific research institutions and more than 100 multinational enterprises, according to the press conference.

As a part of the summit, the five-day exhibition displayed China's latest achievements in digitalization on digital infrastructure, digital economy, digital society and digital technology innovation. The number of visitors  exceeded 330,000 offline and 10 million online, both record highs, Zhang said.

China had rolled out a plan for the overall layout of the country's digital development in February, vowing to make important progress in the construction of a digital China by 2025, with effective interconnectivity in digital infrastructure, a significantly improved digital economy, and major breakthroughs in digital technology innovation.

By 2035, China will be at the global forefront in terms of digital development, and its digital progress in the economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological fields will be more coordinated and sufficient, according to the plan.

(With input from Xinhua) 

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