Internet progress expected from China-Russia forum

Stronger ties and fruitful results in terms of internet cooperation between China and Russia can be expected from the third China-Russia Internet Media Forum, according to participants and industry leaders.

The three-day forum, which started on Thursday in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, attracted about 150 representatives from ministries, research institutes, media outlets and internet companies from the two countries.

The forum is overseen by the Cyberspace Administration of China and Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation. The hosts are China Daily, the China Internet Development Foundation and the Office of the Jiangsu Cyberspace Affairs Commission.

The event highlights the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia. President Xi Jinping, in a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the 11th BRICS Summit in Brazil on Wednesday, called for maintaining positive, sound momentum in development of China-Russia relations at a high level.

Xi spoke of the importance of 2019 as a year in which China-Russia relations will forge ahead. The two sides celebrated the anniversary with a series of activities as the year of China-Russia local cooperation and exchange is coming to a successful end, he said.

Alexey Volin, Russia's deputy minister of digital development, telecommunications and mass media, visited the Wuxi (National) Digital Film Industrial Park and a showroom of Hongshan Internet of Things Town on Thursday.

Volin, head of the Russian delegation to the forum, said the thriving technology and education sector in Wuxi gives an indication of the huge potential for development. He said the forum is sure to attract industry leaders and experts, leading to more fruitful results in internet cooperation between the two countries.

"China and Russia signed a contract earlier this year that includes more than 200 internet-related projects and activities. Given the prospects for China-Russia internet cooperation, the two countries should team up more closely in more areas," Volin added.

The forum has three co-organizers: China Daily Website, the Wuxi National High-tech Industrial Development Zone Administrative Committee and the Office of the Wuxi Cyberspace Affairs Commission.

Its subforums include New Media Win-Win Cooperation between China and Russia in the New Era, Development and Cooperation of Internet Media Industry between China and Russia, and Media Intelligence and Convergence in the 5G Era.

The Wuxi Consensus on China-Russia Internet Media Cooperation is expected to be released at the closing ceremony.

As an important prelude to the forum, the 10-day China-Russia New Media Youth Collaboration event involved 12 young people from the two countries ended on Wednesday in Wuxi.

From 2016 to 2017, under the framework of the national strategic cooperation of the Year of Media Exchange between China and Russia, China Daily Website successfully organized a series of activities for the China-Russia Internet Media Forum in Guangzhou, China, and Rostov-on-Don, Russia, for two consecutive years. More than 500 guests from ministries, mainstream news websites, internet enterprises and research institutes in China and Russia participated in these events.

Contact the writers at shijing@chinadaily.com.cn

Xinhua contributed to this story.