Li Qiang, governor of Zhejiang Province, sharing WIC updates with reporters taking part in the press conference
A press conference hosted by the Information Office of the State Council and held in Beijing on the afternoon of October 30 effectively summarized what WIC is essentially about.
November 19 will see the grand opening of the 1st World Internet Conference (WIC), a three-day event recognized by insiders as the largest and highest-level Internet convention ever held in China.
Under the theme “An Interconnected World Shared and Governed by All”, the first WIC aims to build an international platform for the communication between China and the rest of the world, and to create a brilliant channel for China to further integrate into the world sources for more in-depth sharing and mutual development of its Internet economy. It is a platform where the world Internet tycoons exchange ideas, explore possibilities and reach consensus.
The first WIC is jointly sponsored by the China Internet Network Information Center and the Zhejiang provincial government, and co-organized by the Zhejiang Internet Network Information Office, Zhejiang Economic and Information Commission, Tongxiang People’s Government and the China Internet Network Information Center.
Li Qiang, provincial governor and provincial Party committee secretary, introduced Zhejiang to the world media and shared with the audience about what has been done for the opening of the convention.
What makes Wuzhen stand out
According to Lu Wei, Minister of the Cyberspace Administration of the People's Republic of China, the settling down of the Internet carnival in Wuzhen creates an arena for the world’s most advanced information technology and the long-standing cultural splendor of China to add radiance to each other and mingle into new incentives for the modernization of Wuzhen, a town that boasts a civilization history of some 7,000 years and already enjoys a fine reputation at home and abroad.
Provincial governor Li Qiang took the Beijing press conference as an opportunity to introduce the multifaceted charm of Wuzhen to the global media. Enjoying a prime location in the Shanghai-Hangzhou-Suzhou ‘golden triangle’ territory, Wuzhen is “a land of fish, rice and silk’, and ranks amongst Zhejiang’s most opulent economies. Simple, unspoiled folkway and wonderful culture completes the prosperous scene of Wuzhen, ensuring ample resources for the town’s booming eco-tourism. Officially founded 1,300 years ago, the town that is awash with cultural riches featured in a sprawling historical block is on the shortlist for the nomination of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage status. With a breathtaking Jiangnan landscape, Wuzhen is one of the few places where one can have a taste of an authentic Jiangnan-style water town .
Statistics show in 2013 alone Wuzhen received about 5.6 million tourists, with at least 15,000 people pouring into the town on a daily basis. The first three quarters of the year 2014 has seen an increase rate of 10% from last year.
Preparation for the opening of the first WIC is going well. The provincial government promises to provide the world guests the best possible service and a down-to-earth administrative attitude throughout the convention.
“WIC will enhance the global appeal of Wuzhen; and the insights of the elites and forerunners of the world Internet industry will constitute a significant part of the cultural assets of the town. It is a small town that has big stories to tell,” said Li Qiang.
The next Jack Ma and Alibaba
The first WIC provides the right timing for Zhejiang to upgrade its information economy. The province now justifiably ranks among the country’s strongest e-commerce bodies, contributing 70% to the national cross-border E-business volume and 60% to China’s e-commerce transaction revenue. The province headquarters about 85% of the country’s online retailers.
The growth rate of the province’s IT industry averaged at around 25% in recent years, with the operating proceeds of the entire information technology topping 1,100 billion yuan and the scale of consumption expanding continuously to approximately 150 billion yuan. Zhejiang is also the country’s only state-level model of information revolution and industrialization.
Enormous governmental support will go into the province’s information economy to make it a pillar sector of the provincial industry. Untiring governmental effort in the improvement of administrative and service efficiency and great progresses made by Zhejiang in environmental protection, together with all the support that goes to the cultivation of more entrepreneurial passion and innovation, will pave the way for the realization of the goal.
The province has seen the rise of a new generation of entrepreneurs bracing up to work miracles just like Jack Ma and his Alibaba empire in the foreseeable future.
“The power of such an entrepreneurial icon is inestimable. Jack Ma and a host of other visiting IT magnates will definitely bolster the morale of ambitious newcomers and start-ups,” said Li Qiang.
Zhejiang gets ready for WIC
Based on the international prominence of a good number of large Internet companies, Zhejiang's Internet economy development has been powerful and swift. The province ranks among China’s firsts in terms of the popularity of Internet and the level of informatization. Zhejiang has about 33 million Internet users, which is about 60% of the provincial population. The province’s vibrant Internet industry is also based on as many as 24,000 registered websites, with the Internet popularity rate topping 61%. About 40% of the country’s ‘top 100’ industrial websites are registered in Zhejiang. Zhejiang leads the country in the volume of e-business transactions. The growth rate of the information technology industry of the province has been averaged at 27% since the beginning of the implementation of the country’s 11th ‘five-year plan’. The province accomplished a total operating revenue of 1,100 billion yuan in its Internet sectors and a total consumption scale reaching 147.5 billion yuan in 2013.
“WIC offers a superb chance for Zhejiang to draw the world resources to tap new grounds for its information industry. It is also a stage for Wuzhen to show its cultural glamour and industrial potentials. The provincial government endeavors to build Wuzhen into a rendezvous for the global Internet entrepreneurs and innovators to brainstorm and explore cooperation possibilities. Different cultures blend and different concepts collide fiercely on the brand new platform, creating infinite potentials for the Internet industry of China to rank in the world’s first-tier legion.
“The first WIC is driven by the ‘crossover’ spirit – the adventurous fusion of the fine cultural and scenic tradition with cutting-edge Internet technology. Such innovation adds an extra special touch to today’s Internet era, and puts Wuzhen in the international limelight,” summarized Li Qiang.