Iranian delegation participates in defense exhibition in Pakistan for first time

An Iranian military delegation is attending an international defense exhibition held in Pakistan for the first time as ties between the two countries deepen to showcase its newest military and defense products.

The 12th session of the International Defense Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) kicked off on Tuesday at the Karachi Expo Center in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi. The four-day exhibition attracts military equipment manufacturers from 41 countries including China, Türkiye and Iran to showcase their latest products.

For the first time, Iran has its own pavilion at the exhibition to reveal a wide array of advanced products and systems including drones, air defense system, ballistic system, cruise weapon system, and the advancements in the aerospace industry.

Inside the pavilion, visitors are engaging with Iranian experts, discussing the performance and other details of the military products on display.

Many visitors are impressed by the high-end products and technologies showcased at this year's exhibition.

"I was very astonished and very impressed by watching all kind of technologies here," said Shehraz Ahmed Khan, a visitor.

Dr. Rafia Rafique is a big fan of the defense exhibition. She has been attending the event for the past ten years and still feeling thrilled to see new technologies showcased at the expo.

"I've been a part of IDEAS since 2014. I've been attending the conferences and I've been attending the workshops and seminars and the exhibitions too. By each passing year, I'm like getting prouder of the fact that there are so many new things and new technologies that are coming to Pakistan," said Dr. Rafia Rafique, another visitor.

Iranian delegation participates in defense exhibition in Pakistan for first time

China now has the world's largest 5G network following accelerated infrastructure construction for the Internet over the past 12 months, according to the 2024 China Internet Development Report issued by the Chinese Academy of Cyberspace Studies on Thursday.

The report was released during the 2024 World Internet Conference (WIC) Wuzhen Summit, which started on Wednesday in Wuzhen Town of east China's Zhejiang Province.

The report says China had 3.8 million 5G base stations by the end of June, covering the entire country with a penetration rate of 5G users exceeding 60 percent. 5G technology has been applied to 74 industries. Key industries such as manufacturing, mining, electricity and healthcare have witnessed rapid 5G development over the past 12 months.

Besides 5G, China is also spearheading the infrastructure construction for gigabit Internet with the country's gigabit Internet users accounting for more than 70 percent globally, according to the report.

In addition to the report on China's internet development, the publisher also released the 2024 World Internet Development Report, which highlights global progress in upgrading existing Internet infrastructure, and the acceleration of innovation in emerging digital technology. It also warns that global cybersecurity remains fragile as crimes have increased significantly.

The first WIC was held in 2014 and it has now become the largest and highest-level Internet conference in China. Every year, representatives of government departments, international organizations and leading internet companies from more than 100 countries and regions gather in Wuzhen to discuss the development and future of the Internet.

China develops world's largest 5G network: report