WIC a must for tech-savvy smaller firms

Official: Event serves as 'platform to showcase latest trends in internet'

The World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit has become a key platform for businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to seize development opportunities in the digital age, a leading WIC official said on Wednesday.

Since the first summit was held in 2014, the event has also become a stage for internet companies from home and abroad to debut new and leading technologies, which has made great contributions to global innovation progress, Ren Xianliang, secretary-general of the World Internet Conference, said on the sidelines of the 2022 WIC Wuzhen Summit in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province.

"Internet technologies are always developing and evolving rapidly. The summit has been serving as a platform to showcase the latest trends in internet technology development and cyberspace governance. It has also boosted exchanges in innovation and applications," Ren said.

Small and medium-sized enterprises have also found new opportunities and business partners at the summits, he added.

Furthermore, the summit is expected to play a more important role in accelerating the development of internet technologies since the WIC was turned into a permanent international organization in July, he added.

"The organization aims to initiate dialogue in key topics and areas in global cyberspace governance. More importantly, it will help build trust and eliminate misunderstandings in the international community," Ren said.

The organization now has members from more than 20 countries and regions. They include leading internet companies, trade associations and researchers. The WIC will adhere to the principle of multilateral participation, and would like to join hands with various entities from other countries, such as governments, internet enterprises and technical communities, to advance the building of a multilateral, democratic and transparent global internet governance system, he added.

While addressing the second WIC Wuzhen Summit in 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the initiative of jointly building a community with a shared future in cyberspace.

To fulfill the initiative, Ren said that a few declarations and actions were unveiled during past summits, and the WIC has continuously accumulated wisdom and consensus from all walks of life and continued to deepen cooperation in digital fields.

Currently, development and security are among the most discussed topics related to the internet sector. The WIC will continue to study and implement practical cases from around the world on innovation in digital economy, internet infrastructure construction, online cultural exchanges as well as cybersecurity and governance of global cyberspace, he said.

"From such cases people can learn about how the development of the internet can better benefit mankind," Ren added.