China to open World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, with less Big Tech fanfare and more emphasis on policy
- The conference has in recent times become a platform for Beijing to deliver its policy messages for the sector
- The theme of this year’s conference is expected to be ‘building a community with a shared future in cyberspace’
China will open the annual World Internet Conference (WIC) on Wednesday in the historic town of Wuzhen, as it seeks to promote its vision of internet governance at a time when Big Tech firms continue to reel from months of increased regulatory scrutiny and economic headwinds.
The conference, which used to be a place where China’s internet elite rubbed shoulders with their US counterparts, has in recent times become a platform for Beijing to deliver its policy messages for the sector. The theme of this year’s conference is expected to be the rather staid “building a community with a shared future in cyberspace”.
The year’s event, hot on the heels of the 20th Communist Party Congress where Xi Jinping secured a record-breaking third term as China’s leader, may also provide a glimpse of which officials will be in charge of Beijing’s ideology when it comes to cyberspace affairs in future.
“The major topic is to build a cyberspace community with a shared future … China’s internet space is no longer a pure virtual economy thing as in some Western countries,” said Zhang Yi, chief executive of consultancy iiMedia. “It’s having more impact on the real economy. I think the WIC wants to reflect that.”
The conference has in the past drawn big names such as Baidu CEO Robin Li, Tencent Holdings CEO Pony Ma, Alibaba Group Holding co-founder and former chairman Jack Ma, and Tesla CEO and founder Elon Musk, among others.