Xi Jinping calls for international tech cooperation to tackle global challenges, amid simmering US tensions
- ‘All countries ... need to open up and cooperate more in science and technology, and jointly explore methods to solve important global problems’ said Xi
- Remarks come as China has been encouraging ‘indigenous innovation’ to reduce its reliance on imported technologies
President Xi Jinping has called for international technology cooperation to tackle global challenges at a time when rivalry between China and the US is heating up.
Xi made his comments on Friday in a video speech to the Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing, an event the city uses to promote technology exchanges, saying China would take a “more open attitude” and take part in “global innovation networks”.
“All countries in the world need to open up and cooperate more in science and technology, and jointly explore methods to solve important global problems,” said Xi. He added that China would encourage Zhongguancun, known as China’s Silicon Valley, to build itself into “a world leading technology park”.
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While Xi did not mention any particular issue, the speech comes at a time when Washington and Beijing are at loggerheads over alleged technology and intellectual property theft by China from US institutions and businesses. At the same time, China has been encouraging “indigenous innovation” to reduce its reliance on imported technologies.
Vice-premier Liu He, widely considered to be Xi‘s right-hand man, kicked off the five-day forum, under the theme this year of “Intelligence, Health and Carbon Neutrality”. Zhongguancun, an area in northwestern Beijing, is home to the country’s top universities, research institutions and hi-tech companies.
It is cradle to multiple Chinese tech giants, including computer maker Lenovo, e-commerce giant JD.com, and TikTok owner ByteDance.
“Beijing aims to develop the Zhongguancun Forum into a national platform for global communication and cooperation on science and technology innovation,” said Jin Wei, vice-mayor of Beijing, at a news briefing last week.