On November 11, 2021, “Mobilefest -- Digital Technology Exhibition and Forum" was held in Istanbul. Ambassador Liu Shaobin attended the opening ceremony on line and delivered a speech. Mr. Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Deputy Minister of Industry and Science and Technology of Türkiye and Mr. Furkan Karakaya, Deputy Director of the Investment Office of the Presidential Palace attended the activity and spoke at the venue.
In his speech, Ambassador Liu said that the digital economy is becoming a key force in reorganizing global resources, reshaping global economic structure and changing the world’s competition pattern. Since COVID-19 outbreak in particular, digital technology and digital economy have played an important role in supporting countries to fight the pandemic and resume production and life. In recent years, China has implemented the “Internet +” action plan, promoting the construction of “Digital China”, developing the sharing economy and supporting Internet-based innovations so as to improve the quality and efficiency of development. The digital economy is now on the fast track of development. In 2020, the volume of China’s digital economy reached 39.2 trillion RMB, accounting for 38.6% of its GDP, with a steady and rapid growth of 9.7% year on year. The digital economy has become a key driving force for stable economic growth. China proposed the Global Initiative on Data Security in 2020, and filed a formal application to join the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) on November 1, 2021. We are willing to work with all parties to create an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory digital development environment and accelerate the digital economic development of all countries.
Ambassador Liu Shaobin noted that China and Türkiye have always been important partners in the field of digital economy. At the Fourth World Internet Conference, 2017, China, Türkiye and other countries jointly launched the Proposal for International Cooperation on the “One Belt, One Road” Digital Economy, which is committed to building an interconnected “Digital Silk Road”. With the development of China-Türkiye relations and the deepening of practical cooperation in various fields, a growing number of outstanding Chinese companies have entered the Turkish market, becoming an important force to promote the development of digital technology in Türkiye, and laying a solid foundation for China-Türkiye cooperation in this field. It is hoped that China and Türkiye will strengthen strategic mutual trust in the digital field and build a community of interests with win-win results and a community with a shared future for common development and prosperity based on the principles of connectivity, innovation and development, openness and cooperation, harmony and inclusiveness, and mutual benefit. We should seize the opportunity, working together to enhance the construction of digital economy infrastructure and encouraging enterprises of both sides to actively participate in the digital transformation and smart upgrading of traditional infrastructure. We should accelerate the development of new businesses and new models, jointly promoting deep integration of digital technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence and big data with the real economy, and accelerating the development of cross-border e-commerce by seeking synergy of e-commerce development plans, regulations and standards between the two sides.
“Mobilefest -- Digital Technology Exhibition and Forum” was jointly organized by Eurasia Group, member of the China Chamber of Commerce in Türkiye and HIS Exhibition Services Company Limited.