World Internet Conference

The WIC is held in the town of Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, annually by the Cyberspace Administration of China and Zhejiang Provincial People's government. It had its first showing on Nov 19-21, 2014, when it attracted prominent Internet figures from nearly 100 countries. That was China's first Internet conference of such kind and on this scale and was an unparalleled global event.

The Internet is creating a revolution that will reform and influence human development, while also creating economic growth and more convenient lifestyles. It also poses unprecedented challenges, such as unequal development, cyber insecurity, uneven distribution of key resources, and new risks from new technology.

The WIC logo is dignified but uses modern elements, using the Chinese character “互”, for ‘Internet’, to back the “Internet” theme. The circles that form the Chinese character “互” are in different colors, referring to the information network on the Internet and suggesting the intricacy of information in cyberspace.

2nd World Internet Conference

The 2nd World Internet Conference, also known as the Wuzhen Summit, took place on Dec 16 -18, in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province. Themed “An Interconnected World Shared and Governed by All -- Building a Cyberspace Community of Shared Destiny”, the event was hosted by the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Zhejiang Provincial Government.

The conference gathered 2,000 people from governments, international organizations, enterprises, technology groups, and non-governmental organizations from around the world to exchange ideas on global Internet governance, cyber security, the Internet and sustainable development, Internet intellectual property rights, technological innovation, and Internet philosophy, to name a few.

The Conference is expected to build a human cyberspace community with a shared destiny, an ethic of respecting differences and seeking a consensus, while focusing on development and shared risks in an international society, with new opportunities through Internet development accessible to more countries. A favorable future for humans and society is expected to be shaped together in the cyber era.

3rd World Internet Conference

The Third World Internet Conference was held in Wuzhen, Tongxiang of Zhejiang province from Nov 16 to 18, 2016. The conference organizer invited more than 1,200 guests worldwide, including government representatives from countries and international associations, internet or technology.

Themed "Innovation-driven Internet Development for the Benefit of All – Building a Community of Common Future in Cyberspace", the Conference was composed of forums, an expo, and a launch event in addition to the opening and closing ceremonies. The Conference had 16 forums covering 20 hot issues, such as Internet economy, Internet innovation, Internet culture, governance in cyberspace and international cooperation on Internet.

The Light of the Internet Expo highlighted China's Internet development and the technological achievements of the Internet in the global context. More than 300 well-known Internet corporations from home and abroad showcased their advantages at the Expo.

The Conference, for the first time, released cutting-edge scientific achievements in the Internet sector to the world at large, displaying globally leading state-of-the-art Internet techniques.

4th World Internet Conference

The fourth World Internet Conference (Wuzhen Summit), co-hosted by the Cyberspace Administration of China and the People's Government of Zhejiang Province, was held in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province from Dec 3 to 5, 2017.

Themed "Developing Digital Economy for Openness and Shared Benefits — Building a Community of Common Future in Cyberspace", the Conference further facilitated discussion and dialogue on digital economy, cutting-edge technologies, Internet and society, cyberspace governance, and exchanges and cooperation. Leading figures from governments, international organizations, enterprises, technical community and civil societies all around the world participated in this event.

The Conference serves as a platform for building a community of common future in cyberspace, promoting worldwide respect for diversity, focusing on mutual development, forging consensus and boosting innovation. It is hoped that more countries will join in and share the opportunities and outcomes brought along by the Internet development and shaping a better future of human society in the new Internet era.

5th World Internet Conference

The fifth World Internet Conference (WIC), also known as the Wuzhen Summit, was held in Wuzhen, in northern Zhejiang province from Nov 7-9, 2018. Themed “Creating a Digital World for Mutual Trust and Collective Governance – Toward a Community with Shared Future in Cyberspace”, the summit focused on five main themes, namely, innovation-driven development, universal security, openness and inclusiveness, pursuit of a better life and common prosperity.

China attributes enormous importance to global internet management and adheres to four main principles, namely cyber sovereignty, peace and security, openness and security as well as cyber order. As the world becomes more interconnected, international cooperation and joint efforts to build a community of shared future in cyberspace also becomes vitally important. The fifth World Internet Conference provided a great opportunity for knowledge sharing and mutual learning, especially considering China’s astonishing achievements in the field. The fifth WIC was also a unique chance for reflecting on how digitalization can further promote comprehensive exchanges in the countries and regions along the Belt and Road and between China and the international community.

The WIC saw the participation of more than 1,500 delegates from all around the world, including governments’ officials, representatives from international organizations, top leaders from Chinese and international internet enterprises as well as scholars and experts in the field.

To know more about the WIC, please click HERE.