At the ongoing second China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE), attendees emphasize the critical need for collaboration in global supply chains, highlighting China's pivotal role in fostering new opportunities and partnerships.
Themed "Connecting the World for a Shared Future," the expo is running from Tuesday to Saturday in Beijing. It showcases 620 companies and organizations from 69 countries and regions, reflecting a notable increase in participation. Prior to the event, over 5,000 demand matches were made, facilitating early connections between domestic and international businesses.
Yuki Izumikawa, head of Japanese Association for Promotion of International Trade stressed the importance of maintaining supply chain integrity.
"Decoupling and breaking supply chains goes against the current trends of the world and the natural laws of the market. Only by promoting stability and smoothness in industrial and supply chains, and by pursuing a path of peaceful development and cooperation, can we secure a brighter future," he said.
Global mining leader Rio Tinto, participating alongside China Baowu Steel Group, showcased its commitment to sustainability in the smart automotive chain sector. At their booth, the company displays essential materials crucial for manufacturing automotive bodies and components and shows how they cooperate with their downstream partners.
"We're here in the Rio booth. We are benefiting hugely from being part of the China supply chain. It's helping us in operating in 35 different countries around the world," said Dominic Barton, chairman of the company.
Peter Bakker, Chairman and CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, echoed these sentiments, asserting the essential role of global supply chains.
"I think the world would not be the same if we didn't have global supply chains. And China is at the heart of many of those supply chains. So it's essential that we continue to work together, that we collaborate," he said.
Global supply chain collaboration highlighted at international expo
The 2024 Belt and Road Media Community Summit Forum, hosted by the China Media Group (CMG), was held in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Wednesday, gathering attendees from around the world to explore innovative cooperation models and discuss the role of new technologies in advancing the media industry.
The forum, themed "Land Meets Sea: Towards Innovation, Intelligence, and the Future," brought together experts, scholars, and representatives from 160 media organizations across 30 countries and regions.
The event saw the launch of a declaration focused on the joint development and sharing of a technology innovation ecosystem for the Belt and Road media community. The declaration calls on global media outlets to share opportunities, manage risks and promote ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI).
In his opening remarks, Shen Haixiong, president of the CMG, highlighted the group's commitment to enhancing global media cooperation, improving connectivity, and fostering platforms for international dialogue.
After eight years of development, the Belt and Road Media Community, initiated by the CMG, has expanded to include 148 members and partners from 64 countries and regions.
International media participants noted that the initiatives put forward by the community are helping play a crucial role in expanding mutually beneficial cooperation among media outlets worldwide.
"The initiative by the Belt and Road Media Community has been one of the cornerstones in bringing media together, in working together and developing productions and co-productions, which we have been involved with. Every year there are technologies changing, and I think our focus will be to help and guide our members in the use of these technologies, especially AI these days. Because the ethical issues around AI has become a very, very important area for us to focus," said Ahmed Nadeem, secretary general of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union.
During the opening ceremony, several international cooperation projects were signed, while scholars and experts in the media sector were also invited to share their insights on the theme of media transformation through generative AI.
Since its establishment in 2016, the Belt and Road Media Community Summit Forum has evolved into a vital platform for communication and collaboration and has also served as a significant initiative to promote cultural exchange and mutual learning among diverse civilizations.
Belt and Road Media Community Summit Forum held in Chongqing
Belt and Road Media Community Summit Forum held in Chongqing
