2023 Zhongguancun Forum opens in Beijing, highlighting int'l cooperation, openness

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends the opening ceremony of the 2023 Zhongguancun Forum and delivers a speech in Beijing, capital of China, May 25, 2023. The 2023 Zhongguancun Forum kicked off on Thursday at the Zhongguancun Exhibition Center in Beijing. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

The 2023 Zhongguancun Forum kicked off on Thursday at the Zhongguancun Exhibition Center in Beijing.

Yin Li, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, read out a congratulatory letter from President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony.

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech.

Ding said the congratulatory letter fully reflects that President Xi attaches great importance to sci-tech innovation and international cooperation.

He stressed that China will speed up the implementation of innovation-driven development strategy to provide solid support for the high-quality economic and social development in the country.

China is willing to take an active part in global innovation cooperation and share the fruits of innovation development with the rest of the world, Ding said.

He put forward a three-point proposal, saying that efforts should be made to improve global innovation governance, promote international sci-tech cooperation, and intensify cooperation on the research of global issues.

The large gathering has attracted guests from more than 80 countries and regions, as well as almost 200 international organizations, institutions and foreign government departments.

Themed "Open Cooperation for a Shared Future," the 2023 Zhongguancun Forum is jointly hosted by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the China Association for Science and Technology, and the municipal government of Beijing.

"We are looking forward to engaging in in-depth exchanges and fostering consensus with guests from various sectors, pooling wisdom to enhance international cooperation on sci-tech innovation, and making contributions to global economic prosperity," said Wu Zhaohui, China's vice minister of science and technology.

At present, China is embarking on an innovation trajectory that promises it a position among the world's innovation leaders in fields ranging from electric vehicles and battery technology to space, artificial intelligence and quantum computing, said Denis Simon, president of the Alliance of Global Talent Organizations.

Zhongguancun was established in 1988 in northwestern Beijing, housing clusters of universities and research institutes. It is China's first national high-tech industrial development zone and is known as "China's Silicon Valley."

The Zhongguancun Forum was founded in 2007 and has grown into a national-level open innovation platform and an international forum.