Digital China Summit: China to power social development through information technology

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03:09

Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a congratulatory letter to the organizers of the first-ever "Digital China Summit", which is being held in the south-eastern city of Fuzhou. The meeting is part of the country's wider efforts to advance technological innovation. Natasha Hussain has more.

In his letter, President Xi called for new driving forces to aid the development of information technology in China. At the meeting, Sun Pishu -- Chairman of the Chinese multinational IT company, Inspur -- explained how the meeting was designed to do just that.

SUN PISHU CHAIRMAN, INSPUR "This event closely links various ideas regarding the country's strength in cyberspace and digital construction to our daily lives. Innovation in IT fulfills our ever-growing need for the basic necessities of food, clothing, shelter and transportation. It also streamlines government functions and administrative processes."

Many at the summit believe there's a huge weight of expectation on China's IT sector to be a strong economic driver.

MU RONGJUN CO-FOUNDER, MEITUAN-DIANPING "As an IT company, we feel the heavy social and moral responsibility to combine economic and societal benefits. We see efforts to further integrate the digital economy with the real economy."

The summit also looks at China's blueprint to develop its cyberspace and achieve breakthroughs in core information technologies. The paper was released earlier this week at a national conference on cyber-security and informatization. Jack Ma, the co-founder of Alibaba, was just one out of many who believe it needs to be backed up by sound legislation and governance.

JACK MA EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, ALIBABA "The number of big companies that have core information technologies is limited. Big companies should compete for technology innovation in the future not just market share or investment volume. And China needs legislation to govern the digital economy."

GUO WEI CHAIRMAN, DIGITAL CHINA GROUP "The development of a certain industry lies in the number of technologies held in our own hands. We should not rely on external technology sourcing, though collaboration is still an option. For example, to master data mining is essential for us when it comes to e-governance. It's a matter of national security."

A truly international event, it also serves as a platform for people to exchange views and experiences, by showcasing the best e-governance practices and cutting-edge products and services from all around the world.

NYAKAN JUNE INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANT "In Africa, we are at a point where we really want to strengthen our public governance and our public services. We are looking at ways where we can actually work together and collaborate to bring in technologies and business efficiencies in Africa."

Topics related to e-governance, the digital economy, smart cities, the Digital Maritime Silk Road and the Internet-of-Things will be analysed over the coming days. It's hoped the discussions can promote more cooperation opportunities for a host of businesses and institutes both at home and abroad. Natasha Hussain, CGTN.