
MWC Shanghai kicks off major telecoms industry showcase amid US-China tech war, pandemic
- Many of the leading Chinese and global telecoms companies are expected to take part in this year’s MWC Shanghai
- The telecoms industry trade show will be available on the internet to visitors and exhibitors around the world via a virtual portal, My MWCS Online
The annual event organised by the GSM Association, which represents the interests of more than 750 wireless network operators and almost 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, is touted as the telecoms industry’s first large-scale hybrid event of its kind. The conference and exhibition, hosted at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre and Kerry Hotel Pudong, will also be available on the internet to visitors and exhibitors around the world via a dedicated virtual portal, My MWCS Online.
The staging of MWC Shanghai, which will run until Thursday, surmounted many difficulties, as the pandemic situation in many parts of the world remained severe, according to Sihan Bo Chen, head of Greater China at the GSMA. “This is a meeting that brightens the hopes and sends a very positive signal for the global [telecoms] industry,” she said on Monday.

Like in 2019, the US-China tech war is expected to remain the elephant in the room at this year’s MWC Shanghai.

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Around 20,000 industry delegates are expected to attend the Shanghai event, which has the theme “Connected Impact”. The delegates are fewer than in past editions of the show because of China’s travel restrictions, which has visitors from abroad go through a 14-day quarantine.
In a report released ahead of the event, the GSMA said China’s booming digital economy has helped the country recover quickly from the coronavirus pandemic. It said 78 per cent of Chinese consumers shifted to online shopping during the outbreak.
