World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit opens in east China

Tech gurus and experts gathered in east China's water town of Wuzhen on Friday to kick off the 2025 World Internet Conference (WIC) Wuzhen Summit.

Guided by the theme "Building an Open, Cooperative, Secure, and Inclusive Digital Future – Jointly Forging a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace," this gathering has attracted more than 1,600 participants from over 130 countries and regions, alongside representatives from international bodies including the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Li Shulei, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, delivered a keynote speech at the opening event.

Attendees agreed on four core principles for cyberspace progress:​

Innovative development as driver: Cultivating a dynamic digital economy and expanding digital tech access.​

Common security as foundation: Strengthening dialogue, balancing development and safety, and building stable cyberspace.​

Cultural exchanges as link: Using digital tech to preserve civilizations and foster shared cultural spaces.​

Collaborative governance as support: Respecting national cyber sovereignty and diverse governance models.

The summit coincides with the 10th anniversary of the "community with a shared future in cyberspace" concept, first proposed in 2015. It focuses on three keywords reflecting a decade of global cooperation: Open Cooperation, Secure Inclusiveness, and Digital Intelligence Future.​

Open cooperation: Expanding global ties​

Over the past decade, the concept has moved from vision to action: 4,200+ enterprises have joined the summit, 140+ tech achievements were released and four years of model case selections yielded projects benefiting 3 billion+ people, including African undersea cables and Singapore's non-smart terminal systems.​

Since 2022, the WIC's global reach has grown to 210+ members from 40+ countries, with events like the Digital Civilization Nishan Dialogue and Hong Kong's Asia-Pacific Summit. 

Secure inclusiveness: Balancing growth and safety​

As AI faces breakthroughs and governance challenges, the summit addresses the need for unified tech standards. Fields like embodied intelligence and quantum tech are advancing rapidly, raising urgency for coordinated safety protocols.​

Initiatives like China’s "Africa Digital Village Connect" (bringing Internet to 10,000 African villages) and the Asian Direct Cable project were highlighted. The summit’s new "AI for Public Good" plan focuses on using AI for food security and public health.​

Digital intelligence future: Tech and culture unite​

Zhejiang integrates "Summit+Culture+Industry" to preserve heritage. The "Wenlan Reappears" exhibition, launched on November 6, lets visitors use MR glasses to explore a digital version of Hangzhou’s Wenlan Pavilion and the ancient Siku Quanshu encyclopedia. Its upgraded mini-program adds AI companions and role-play, making history accessible to youth.​

The "Light of the Internet" Expo, which opened November 6, features 670 entities from 54 countries showcasing AI innovations. The summit will host 24 sub-forums on digital economy, AI research, and heritage digitization and the release of the Global AI Standards Development Report.​

As Wuzhen’s canal lanterns blend with digital screens, the summit embodies tech-human harmony. Wuzhen has turned dialogue into cooperation over 12 years. This year, it writes a new chapter for an open, secure digital future.