On December 13, the “B&R” Information Industry International Cooperation Summit was held in Shanghai. The eventwas jointly steered by Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce and Pudong New Area Government, and co-organized by Shanghai Information Service Outsourcing Development Center, Shanghai Financial Information Industry Association and China Net+.
According toShanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, the software and information service industries play an important role in China’s “Belt and Road” (B&R) strategy, which facilitate Chinese businesses to integrate into the “B&R” value chain. In 2017, China's software exports to “B&R” economies increased rapidly, amounting tothe execution value of US$8.743 billion, a YOYgrowth of 79.34%. In the first half of 2018, the committed amount of software export agreements in Shanghai reached US$3.111 billion, up 26.05% YOY, completed by the execution value of US$1.822 billion, up 10.48% year-on-year. Nearly half of software export destinations are “B&R” countries. Shanghai actively responds to the “B&R” Initiative by building a “B&R” public service platform, supporting the “B&R” international cooperation conferences, researching and formulating relevant policy measures, in order to expand its supports to information technology businesses focusing on “B&R”-related services and enhance their engagement in the “B&R” construction.
Mr. Li Guoqiang, Research Fellow at the Development Research Center of the State Council and Honorary Director of Guosheng Think Tank, gave a keynote speech on the construction of the "B&R" Initiative supported by the "Information Silk Road". He proposed that the information age has become an irreversible historical trend and has changed the face and pattern of today's world. Therefore, it is important to establish an awareness of strategic thinking and formulate a strategic plan for the "Information Silk Road". It is recommended to build Shanghai into the commanding height and build a platform for the "Information Silk Road", actively promoteinternet applications to go abroad, drive innovation and export of products related to the communications industry, and focus on the roadmap and milestones of the "Information Silk Road", including the fundamental construction of country database, the creation of the "Information Silk Road Alliance" and the launch of the "Information Silk Road Think Tank".
Under the theme of “Sharing and Building a Road to Cooperation and Win-Win”, the forum gathered the “B&R” strategic participants to discuss its promotion model, explore the leading role of internet and information technologies in the “B&R” cooperation, drive the role of software and information services in the "B&R" promotion, and encourage more outstanding software and information service companies in Shanghai and China to go global. The event witnessed the signing of the partnership agreement between Pactera Group and Evicertia Company of Costa Rica as well as the Quadripartite Cooperation Framework Agreement for the “B&R” Information Industry International Cooperation Summit. In the afternoon, two sessions were held in parallel, namely the “Information Technology Drives ‘B&R’ New Trade” and “‘B&R’ Supports Sharing of Scientific and Technological Outcomes”.
Experts and representatives from the Development Research Center of the State Council, Amazon, Ernst China, Pactera Haihui, Mobile Communications, the Institute of Software, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, CIC, Yuanfeng E-Commerce Group, Fosun Group, FIC Global Advisors, the Consulate of Hungary in Shanghai and Hangzhou Xinda Technology of Morning Whistle Group were present at the event.
