Ex-Portugal deputy PM lauds 'connectivity' of BRI in digital world

China aids globalization better than any other country and has surprised the world with the development of its digital economy, former Portuguese deputy prime minister Paulo Portas said on Saturday.

Portas touted the Belt and Road Initiative as something that greatly "enhances connectivity in a global digital world".

"Clearly the Belt and Road Initiative increases connectivity. With digitalization, you are connected with the world regardless of your geographical location, so you can develop your economy and society," Portas said on the sidelines of the three-day Shanghai Forum 2019, an annual gathering hosted by Fudan University and the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies.

In his view, China has dramatically leapfrogged in its contribution to global trade, from claiming less than 1 percent in the share of world trade of goods four decades ago to the current 12 percent. The jump demonstrates Beijing's embrace of globalization, he said.

Advancements in e-commerce and mobile payments are also lending fresh momentum to innovation and are taking globalization to a different level, he said. "Even if one can slow the momentum of globalization, you cannot stop digitization," he said.

In December, Beijing and Lisbon signed cooperation documents covering such areas as trade, culture, science and the Belt and Road Initiative, vowing to forge ahead with multilateral coordination and facilitate connectivity.

Portas called the cooperation framework a "very positive move" that paves the way for companies in the two countries to explore business opportunities. As natural navigators and traders, he said, the Portuguese ardently support free trade, and he "cannot imagine an accurate and competitive economic policy in the world without China".

Through digital means, Chinese companies have in recent years acted as "technological enablers" to help other countries grow their economies. For instance, Ant Financial Services Group, parent of the popular mobile wallet Alipay, has created nine local payment solutions in countries from India to Indonesia.

"Our aim is to open our inclusive technologies to global partners, serve 2 billion users across the world, create 100 million jobs and help 10 million small and medium-sized companies to be profitable in the future," said Xiong Wuzhen, senior director of technology at Ant Financial International.

China's indigenous technologies and best practices in the past two decades are a "natural fit" for economies participating in the Belt and Road Initiative who aspire to digitize their economy, said Li Bo, assistant director at Fudan University's China Institute.

"We are looking to build the digital versions of all physical projects under the auspices of the Belt and Road Initiative. This will be conducive to future learning, training and exchanges of views," he said.

Under the theme "Asia Amid Global Reshuffling: Challenges, Developments, and New Paradigms", the three-day forum, which ends Monday, features four mega topics - new technologies, changing global orders, China's new round of reform and opening-up, and Shanghai's bid to make itself a global city of excellence. Some 30 panel discussions have been scheduled throughout the event.