Seminar spotlights digital economy, smart city “东盟媒体看数字中国”线上论坛举行

AN online seminar on ASEAN media’s views on digital China was held simultaneously in Shenzhen and Beijing on Wednesday. Government representatives, experts, entrepreneurs and media professionals from China and ASEAN countries shared their views and insights on the development and cooperation prospects of the digital economy and smart cities at the seminar.

This year marks the first year after the formal establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between the ASEAN and China, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) took effect in January.

Participants of the online seminar on ASEAN Media's Views on Digital China on Wednesday.

The seminar, part of the 2022 Media Tour of ASEAN Media’s View on Digital China, was hosted by China Daily and the ASEAN-China Center (ACC), and organized by China Daily Website and Cyberspace Administration of Shenzhen.

Wang Hao, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily, said the digital economy and smart cities have become key cooperation areas between China and ASEAN countries in recent years, and cooperation achievements are constantly emerging.

He said the development of digital economy and the application of digital technologies also offered a great development opportunity for the media sector.

Zhang Yong, deputy director of the Cyber Communications Bureau of the Cyberspace Administration of China, said both China and ASEAN countries have accelerated the development of the digital economy, which has become a key force to boost economic recovery and the healthy development of the global economy.

He called for further cooperation between China and ASEAN media, enterprises and think tanks, to inject continuous vitality into the development of China-ASEAN digital economy, and high-quality construction of the Digital Silk Road.

Arthayudh Srisamoot, Thailand's ambassador to China, also highlighted digital economy as a key field of bilateral cooperation.

"In 2021, digital economy accounted for 14.1% of Thailand's GDP," he said.

From the installation of 5G stations to smart hospitals and a digital currency trial, these are concrete outcomes from the beneficial cooperation between Thailand and China, he said.

Shi Zhongjun, secretary general of ACC, said at the seminar that the digital economies of China and ASEAN countries are highly complementary and there is a solid foundation and huge potential for digital cooperation between the two sides.

"Promoting the ASEAN-China digital economy partnership will help the two sides overcome current economic difficulties caused by COVID-19, gain greater growth momentum and achieve common development and prosperity," said Shi.

"The ACC will continue playing its role as a bridge between ASEAN and China to promote policy communication, expand consensus and deepen cooperation in the digital field, and make new contributions to the growth of ASEAN-China relations," he said.

Attendees of a seminar on ASEAN Media’s View on Digital China gesture at a subvenue in Shenzhen on Wednesday. Lin Jianping

Beijing and Shenzhen are among the top five cities in the digital economy, according to the 2022 China Digital Economy Development Research Report.

Shenzhen has been promoting the construction of a smart city and e-government at high standards, according to Wang Chuhong, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the CPC and head of the Cyberspace Administration of Shenzhen. The city will continue to provide strong support and services in multiple aspects including organizational designs, legal services, infrastructure construction and industrial policies, Wang said at the seminar. 

Tao Yitao, professor and former deputy Party chief of Shenzhen University and dean of the Belt and Road Research Institute of Shenzhen University, introduced Shenzhen’s digital economy achievements from five aspects and the role of mechanism innovation in boosting the city’s digital economy development.

The added value of the core industries of Shenzhen’s digital economy last year exceeded 900 billion yuan (US$128.8 billion), accounting for 30.5% of the city's GDP.

As of 2021, Shenzhen had built over 50,000 5G stations. In addition, the city ranks first in the information society index and an online government service capability index, according to related reports released by the national authorities.

Moreover, Shenzhen has cultivated a batch of leading enterprises involved in the digital economy sector such as Huawei, ZTE, Tencent and Ping An.

Huang Runzhong, chief supervisor of One Connect of Ping An Insurance (Group) Co. of China, highlighted new opportunities for digital development and shared the company's effective practices in digitalization.

“聚焦数字经济合作、谱写智慧城市新篇章”，2022年“东盟媒体看数字中国”线上论坛12月7日下午在北京和深圳举行，来自中国和东盟各国的政府代表、企业界和学界专家纷纷发言。

在开幕式上，中国日报社副总编辑王浩首先代表主办方向与会来宾们表示了诚挚的欢迎。王浩表示，近年来，全球数字经济发展方兴未艾，数字经济和智慧城市成为中国和东盟合作的重点领域，合作的成果不断显现。随着数字经济的蓬勃发展和数字技术的广泛应用，新闻传播也迎来了全新的发展机遇。中国日报社愿与东盟国家媒体同心协力讲好中国东盟友好故事、讲好中国东盟数字经济发展和智慧城市建设的故事，让合作共赢的力量直抵各国人民的内心，打造让世界了解中国东盟合作成果的桥梁和窗口。

中国国家互联网信息办公室网络传播局副局长、一级巡视员张勇在致辞中表示，当前，中国和东盟国家的数字经济发展都已经按下加速键，数字经济正在成为推动各国经济复苏和全球经济健康发展的关键力量。在数字经济时代，媒体既是数字经济发展的见证者、记录者、传播者，也是参与者、实践者、推动者。要充分发挥互联网优势，讲好数字经济发展新故事，谱写智慧城市建设新篇章。为此张勇提出四点建议：一是用更温暖的叙事，讲好数字经济的发展故事。二是用更新颖的技术，丰富媒体发展的内容内涵。三是用更理性的声音，营造相知互信的网络空间。四是用更深入的合作，筑牢发展共赢的民意基石。

泰国驻华大使阿塔育•习萨目在致辞中表示，泰国从2016年以来就开始把“泰国4.0”战略作为国家发展战略，旨在利用智能科技在制造业、农业、生物技术、医疗和教育领域进行创新，从而支撑泰国可持续发展的长期目标。近年来，泰国在数字经济方面也取得了长足的进步，2021年数字经济占泰国GDP的14.1%。中国和泰国长期以来在数字化领域互相支持，从5G基站到智慧医院，再到数字货币试点等都是中泰互利合作的具体成果。习萨目表示，相信泰国和中国可以在数字化领域继续加强合作，泰国随时准备与中国和其他相关方保持密切合作。

中国-东盟中心秘书长史忠俊在致辞中表示，东盟和中国数字经济互补性强，数字合作的基础坚实，潜力巨大。推进东盟—中国数字经济伙伴关系，有助于双方克服当前疫情造成的经济困难，会获得更大的增长动力，并且实现共同发展的繁荣。近年来中国东盟中心在东盟十国和中国的引领下通过举办论坛、会议、商务对接等方式，积极推动中国东盟在数字经济领域的合作，中国东盟中心将继续发挥桥梁作用，促进数字领域政策沟通，扩大共识，深化合作，为中国东盟关系发展做出新的贡献。

本次论坛设深圳线下分会场。深圳市委宣传部副部长、市委网信办主任王楚宏在分会场致辞中表示，深圳以先行示范标准推进智慧城市和数字政府建设。王楚宏介绍道，深圳从机构设置、法治保障、基础设施建设和产业政策等各层面同时发力，为深圳数字经济和智慧城市建设保驾护航。同时，近年来深圳与东盟各国在数字经济和智慧城市建设发展方面展开了大量的合作，极大推进了跨境电商和双边贸易的发展。

分会场发言的嘉宾、原深圳大学党委副书记、一带一路国际合作发展（深圳）研究院理事长、院长陶一桃教授在演讲中从五个方面介绍了深圳的数字经济发展成就，以及机制体制改革对于城市数字经济发展的作用。

据陶一桃介绍，深圳的数字经济核心产业去年产业增加值超过9千亿元，占全市GDP总量的30.5%。截止到2021年，深圳已经建立了超过5万个5G基站。国家权威机构评估显示，深圳信息社会指数、政府线上服务能力指数均位居首位。此外，深圳已经培育了一批数字经济领域头部企业，如华为、中兴、腾讯、平安等。

分会场企业代表、中国平安集团金融壹账通监事长黄润中在演讲中强调了数字经济对中国式现代化发展所带来的新机遇，他还分享了平安集团在数字化领域的成功实践。

本次论坛是2022东盟媒体看数字中国主题采访系列活动的一部分。论坛由中国日报社和中国-东盟中心主办，中国日报网和深圳市互联网信息办公室承办，英文《深圳日报》执行。

WeChat Editors/Holly, Jane