Innovative products, new tech highlighted at 2021 ZGC Forum

A legion of new technologies and products were showcased at the recently concluded 2021 ZGC Forum, a platform for assisting constructive dialogue on science and technology between China and the rest of the world.

Themed around intelligence, health and carbon neutrality, the five-day ZGC Forum closed in Beijing on Tuesday. ZGC is an acronym for Zhongguancun, an area in northwestern Beijing often referred to as China's Silicon Valley.

The forum comprised 60 events, which included conferences, exhibitions and competitions.

More than 1,000 delegates from over 50 countries and regions－including officials, scientists, entrepreneurs and representatives of international organizations, attended the events－according to the organizers.

The exhibition of the ZGC Forum, known previously as the China Beijing High-Tech Expo, was held concurrently with the forum and attended by 576 exhibitors.

The exhibition featured four themed sections and a general section. The four themes were technology-backed Winter Olympic Games, medicine and healthcare, carbon neutrality, and the scientific and technological achievements of different regions in China.

The forum saw the release of a guideline on the ethics of new-generation artificial intelligence and the launch of a 10-billion-yuan ($1.55 billion) investment fund for science and technology sectors to support Beijing in becoming an international center for scientific and technological innovation.

Liu Yinchun, deputy secretary-general of the Beijing government, said that the forum demonstrated the confidence and determination of China and Beijing to open wider to the outside world.

"The delegates conducted in-depth discussions on intelligence, health and carbon neutrality, and reached consensus on a wide range of issues," Liu said. "They expressed that they will pay greater attention to intelligence, sustainability and inclusivity in the course of development, and strengthen global cooperation on innovation to restore the harmony between humans and nature."