Many industry insiders attending the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Shanghai 2024 which concluded on Friday have shared a positive perspective over the prospects of China's telecoms market.
Representatives from major global companies echoed sentiments of China's pivotal role in the telecommunications landscape, citing its influence as a critical market for technologies like 5G.
"Look at the China market, it's clearly one of the most important smart phone markets in the world. We have over 900 million subscribers. And if you look at the technologies that are available in China and the quality of the handsets and all the ecosystem players coming in," said Akash Palkhiwala, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Qualcomm Incorporated.
According to a report on China's mobile economic development in 2024 released by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), it is predicted that 5G will contribute approximately 260 billion U.S. dollars to the Chinese economy by 2030, accounting for over 23 percent of the total impact of the mobile communications industry on the economy.
"The number of 5G users in China will grow to one billion by the end of the year. So I think China continues to be a leader in rolling out of 5G," said Lara Dewar, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at the GSMA.
The MWC Shanghai 2024 opened on Wednesday. The three-day event is deemed the biggest gathering of the connectivity ecosystem in Asia and put a focus on 5G and artificial intelligence (AI).
Industry insiders upbeat on outlook of China's telecoms market
A delegation from the Taliban-led Afghan government is currently in Doha to attend the third round of UN-convened talks on Afghanistan scheduled for Sunday to Monday, hoping to take it as an opportunity to foster understanding between their government and the wider international community.
Key issues on the meeting's agenda include frozen Afghan assets and the Taliban's counter-narcotics policies.
Zabihullah Mujahid, chief spokesperson for the caretaker government, led a six-member delegation to the meeting. Before heading to Doha, he briefed the media on Saturday about his government's approach toward the gathering.
Answering a question from China Global Television Network (CGTN), Mujahid outlined the state of his country's ties with the rest of the world, including some Western countries.
"We don't have problems with all of the world, but we want to reach a solution and maintain mutual understanding with some countries that have been pursuing obsessive policies toward Afghanistan. Afghanistan has faced financial challenges, and its business affairs have been impacted by the sanctions that have been imposed. This needs to be addressed," he said.
A group of Afghan activists from diverse backgrounds, mostly based in the country, wrote an open letter on Sunday to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Special Envoys for Afghanistan, and the Interim Taliban Administration.
The letter addresses key concerns regarding Afghanistan's current socio-economic and political landscape under the Taliban-led government. It highlights severe economic challenges, exacerbated by international actions such as funding cuts and banking restrictions, alongside internal Taliban policies hindering the economic participation of women and educational opportunities for girls.
The activists urge participants of the third Doha meeting to increase aid to the Afghan people, pave the way for unfreezing the Afghanistan Central Bank's assets, and assist Afghan businesses and women.
"I think Afghanistan really deserves right now a chance to be reconnected to the world, to be reintegrated into the international community's framework and to be able to do business with the rest of the world just like any other country. And I think it's an absolute right of the Afghan people, regardless of any other political agendas or issues that we have in Afghanistan," said Muhammad Sulaiman Bin Shah, founder and CEO of Catalysts Afghanistan.
Kabul residents urge both the Taliban and international community to pay attention to the needs of the Afghan people and avoid confusing humanitarian with political issues.
"As we all know, the political and economic situation of Afghanistan is not leading to progress due to Afghanistan's frozen assets. I urge the international community to find a solution at this meeting, and unfreeze Afghan money," said Mushtaba Atayi, a Kabul resident.
"We want the Taliban-led government to reopen schools and universities for sisters, based on Islamic law, and provide the educational environment for them. That would be a very good step," another resident Asimullah Hamdard said.
Delegation of Afghan gov't attends Doha meeting of special envoys
