China-ASEAN Information Harbor Forum Promotes Digital Economy Cooperation

NANNING, China, Sept. 17, 2018 — From September 11 to 18, the main conference and nine subject sessions of the third China-ASEAN Information Harbor Forum are being held in Nanning, Guilin and Beihai. More than 2,000 delegates and guests are expected to participate in the event, reaching a record high both in terms of the number of participants and event scale.

High-level dialogues were held during the Forum on a string of topics, including the establishment of five cooperation platforms between China and ASEAN countries for network infrastructure, technical cooperation, economic and trade service, information sharing and people-to-people exchange, implementing the Belt and Road Initiative, and propelling the construction of China-ASEAN Information Harbor, Digital Silk Road and southward gateway. At the Forum, the government serves as a platform and enterprises play a major role, with companies and merchants joining from across the world. The Forum encompasses meetings, outcome display, project promotion and trade and business negotiation. Except the Huawei Global Logistics Summit to be held in Guilin on September 18, the other eight subject sessions, including the Satellite Industry Cooperation Forum and Network-based Cultural Development Forum, have all concluded.

This year’s China-ASEAN Information Harbor Forum has been extremely fruitful. A group of cooperation projects were signed, giving a strong impetus to the exchange and cooperation between China and ASEAN countries in the digital economy field. At the Guangxi Digital Economy Investment Attraction Cooperation Project Signing Ceremony held in Nanning on September 13, organizations and enterprises from China and abroad signed 35 projects, including 7 projects in cooperation with ASEAN countries. The projects mainly include Guangxi’s smart city construction, enhanced trade facilitation between China and ASEAN countries, coordination and innovation for enterprises’ engagement in government service, and assistance with poverty alleviation in rural areas.

At the New Generation Information Technology Industry Innovation & Development Forum held in Beihai on September 14, 59 projects were signed on site with a total investment of more than RMB20 billion. The projects include the establishment of an academicians’ workstation at Beihai Industrial Zone by four academicians (Chen Guoliang, E Weinan, Zhao Fazhen and Zheng Jianhua), CEC Beibu Gulf Information Port (Phase II), Robot Industry Alliance, Beihai branch of the AI Institute, Huaxin Mining’s regional HQ and R&D Center, RedHorse Fund, and AsiaInfo.