Zhongguancun Forum even more international than ever

The 2023 Zhongguancun Forum is scheduled to be held in Beijing from May 25 to 30, and State leaders, foreign dignitaries, heads of international science and technology organizations, diplomatic envoys and business representatives will be invited to the opening ceremony, a senior official said at a news conference for the forum on Monday.

Under the theme of "Open Cooperation for a Shared Future", this year's forum will include conferences, exhibitions, announcements of research developments, competition in cutting-edge fields and technology trading, with around 150 events in all.

Yu Yingjie, vice-mayor of Beijing, said the forum will focus on cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum science and brain-computer interfaces, exploring trends in technological innovation, showcasing the latest achievements and the discovery of new technologies.

A total of 55 parallel sessions are to be held during the forum, which will focus on artificial intelligence, life science, clean energy and other frontier fields, as well as data management, women's scientific and technological innovation, and digital sports. For the competition in cutting-edge fields, a record 2,500 teams from 30 countries and regions will attend.

Wu Zhaohui, vice-minister of Science and Technology, said the organizer has invited more international technology institutes and global companies to the forum.

Guests will be invited from 80 countries and regions, and 200 foreign government departments, international organizations and institutions will take part. Over a quarter of the speakers are non-Chinese.

"We aim to turn the ZGC Forum into an important international science and technology summit and a platform for new scientific achievements and related policies, to contribute Chinese strength and wisdom to global sciences and technological development," Wu said.