China calls for inclusive digital future at UN information society review

China's envoy to the United Nations on Wednesday called for stronger international cooperation to build an inclusive, open and sustainable information society, as the UN General Assembly concluded a 20-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society.

Speaking at the high-level meeting marking the overall review of WSIS outcomes, China's permanent representative to the UN Fu Cong said that the summit set out a vision of a people-centered, inclusive and development-oriented information society.

He said that through the joint efforts of countries, that vision has been gradually translated into reality, while new challenges have emerged alongside rapid digital and intelligent transformation.

The General Assembly meeting, held over two days at UN Headquarters in New York, marked 20 years since WSIS was launched in Geneva in 2003 and later concluded in Tunis in 2005, providing a platform for member states to assess progress and discuss future priorities in global digital development, according to the UN.

"Over the past two decades, China has actively implemented the outcomes of WSIS by promoting digital innovation and expanding access to and application of digital technologies," Fu said.

"Through open-source cooperation, China has shared the benefits of digital development with the international community, and through initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative, it has supported countries in the Global South in advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," he added.

Fu said China supports building "an inclusive information society" and "stands ready to deepen cooperation with all parties in areas such as 5G networks, computing infrastructure and satellite internet".

He also stressed the need to enhance the resilience of international submarine cables and strengthen capacity-building for developing countries to help bridge the digital divide.

China stands ready to work with all parties to build an information society that is inclusive and benefits all, open and shared by all, and green and environmentally friendly, he said, with the aim of turning the WSIS vision into reality.

Fu called for building an open and shared information society, advocating the creation of an open and cooperative digital innovation ecosystem. He urged efforts to remove barriers to the flow of innovation factors and promote the deep integration of innovation and industrial development in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, so that technological progress benefits all people.

"China is willing to work with other countries to promote coordinated digital and green transformation, address global challenges such as climate change and resource constraints, and enable information and communication technologies to support sustainable development, particularly in developing countries," he said.

He said China is also ready to work with all parties to strengthen international collaboration, implement WSIS outcomes and advance global digital governance in a more fair and inclusive direction, he said, contributing to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.