The 2023 Future Close-up Forum wrapped up in Beijing on Tuesday. The event was co-hosted by China International Communications Group and Tencent, and focused on China's booming digital economy. Our reporter Dai Kaiyi has more. 

Initiated by the China International Communications Group and Tencent, a youth exchange program known as the 2023 Future Close-Up Forum wrapped up at Tencent's Beijing headquarters on Tuesday.

It gathered experts and young adults working in various fields from both China and across the world to engage in discussions and exchange perspectives on the current landscape and potential opportunities presented by the digital economy.

ARTHUR GOPAK CEO and Co-Founder, AlphaGamma "The more I got to know people here, the more I spoke to other entrepreneurs, other members of corporates, I actually felt that there are more things that unite us, make us, say, similar and have shared having shared values instead of dividing us. And I'm actually impressed by the level of technology, the development also the quality of tech here. The ease of the mobile APP convenience. I love that. So I definitely say it's a great example for the world to follow."

CLARENCE LING CHUN-KIT, Chairman of the Y Elites Association in Hong Kong "In terms of digital development, in terms of everything involved in our daily lives and and businesses and also technology. Really China is one of the top around the world. Going forward, different companies should think about how to export that expertise and experiences and then share it with the rest of the world. And then basically promote a fair competition in different markets."

PATRICK JACK ROBERTSON CEO, Smart Air "And I'm looking forward to seeing and I'm seeing more and more of new developments are coming from China in terms of new apps, new ideas and what is to cooperate because I think it it's really great to see we have from other countries outside of China and in China have different ideas, perhaps different ways of collaboration putting those together means ultimately we communicate better and work better together."

The forum comes after a delegation of 16 young individuals from different parts of the world finished their week-long trip in China, seen as a journey to explore the country's thriving tech industry.

They visited Shenzhen in southern China as well as the country's capital Beijing, and toured some of the major tech companies, experiencing digital tech-empowered services such as ride hailing, shared biking and philanthropy. The forum marks the end of their China tour.

ZHANG JUN General Manager, Marketing and PR Department, Tencent "The main goal of this event is to help young people from different countries understand each other better, especially when it comes to understanding China's digital economy. We've noticed that many young people from overseas don't have a solid foundation of knowledge about the rapid growth of China's digital economy. That's why we want to provide them with hands-on experiences through this event, so they can have a deeper understanding of this field."

Zhang believes the event has built a great bridge for communication, and there will be more meaningful exchanges from here on out, promoting mutual understanding and fostering deeper connections.

DAI KAIYI Beijing "The guests here spoke about how the digital economy has reshaped the way we live, work and interact with each other, and this is especially apparent in China. With Gen-Z born and raised in a world full of digital technologies, experts expect they will continue to drive growth, which they hope will ultimately change our lives for the better. Dai Kaiyi, CGTN, Beijing."