Wu Kun, senior expert of Ali Research and chief editor of Ali Business. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

There's still a lot of room for digital media to extend its advantages in the "Internet Plus" initiative, said Wu Kun, senior expert of Ali Research and chief editor of Ali Business Review at the 15th Forum on Internet Media of China being held in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province.

Reading is still the primary need in the age of mobile Internet, though the term has broadened beyond traditional sense, said Wu upon the forum on Friday.

Media will only thrive by offering in-depth services. Sole information providers, like cities without moat, are easy to see their competitiveness weaken, said Wu.

The forum, which is led by the Cyberspace Administration of China, provides guidance on what kind of roles media convergence and technological innovations can play in the context of the new situation and new normal, and how Internet media can better help boost the Belt and Road Initiative, turning a new page to take part in building the "One Belt, One Road".

Since 2013, the CPC Central Committee, led by general secretary Xi Jinping, has put forward strategic blueprints, including the Belt and Road Initiative and the "Internet Plus" strategy.

Zhanjiang, the host city of the forum, was a starting point of one of ancient China's earliest maritime trading routes, during the Han Dynasty (206 BC -- AD 220). It is now one of the 15 pivotal cities in the Belt and Road Initiative -- a reference to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiatives, transport infrastructure projects linking Asia and Europe, proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013.

Themed an "E-path to One Belt, One Road", the forum follows the Belt and Road Initiative and the "Cyberpower" strategy put forward by the CPC Central Committee led by general secretary Xi Jinping since 2013.

Wu is one of the speakers of the sub-forums and here we present an exclusive interview with him.

Q: Why have Internet companies become increasingly interested in investing in content economy, including media?

Wu: Internet companies greet users wherever they are. Reading-related applications have been ranked the most popular kind among mobile users for years, according to industry report. Reading is still the primary need in the age of mobile Internet, though the term has broadened beyond traditional sense.

People are still reading newspapers and magazines nowadays, seeking quality content, though more often on mobile and tablet. Video-streaming, listed as the third-popular application category after social network, can be also seen as another form of reading. Internet companies cater to readers' various needs, as Xiaomi acquired Duokan and Alibaba set up its literature division in April. Different reading channels do not affect the fact that people still hope to see more valuable and meaningful information.

As Jack Ma, executive chairman of Alibaba Group, said when launching the cooperation with China Business Journal, the two will set up a joint media venture, explore new businesses.