Ministerial Meeting of 2026 WIC Digital Silk Road Development Forum opens in Xi'an

The Ministerial Meeting of the 2026 World Internet Conference (WIC) Digital Silk Road Development Forum was held on July 22 in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province.

Under the theme "Promoting Inclusive and Universally Beneficial Development and Sharing the Benefits of Digital and Intelligent Innovation," ministerial-level officials from nearly 20 countries and representatives of relevant international organizations engaged in in-depth exchanges to build lasting consensus, advance tangible cooperation, tap into digital growth, and enable Belt and Road countries to share development dividends.

In the keynote speech segment, speakers shared their national perspectives on digital infrastructure, technological innovation, and capacity building.

The speakers included Francis Gurry, vice-chair of the WIC and former director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization; Sofiene Hemissi, minister of communication technologies of Tunisia; and Dmitriy Goloburda, deputy director of the Central Communications Service Under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Other speakers included Xayluxa Insisiengmay, deputy minister of technology and communications of the Lao People's Democratic Republic; Decambeau Moudiongui-Ko-Goma, chief of staff of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Digital Economy of the Republic of the Congo; and Souleymane Bah, secretary general of the Ministry of Communication, Digital Economy and Innovation of Guinea.

Participants reached consensus that AI development must remain people-centered. All sides, they agreed, should leverage frameworks like the Digital Silk Road to enhance collaboration, narrow the digital divide, and build an inclusive digital ecosystem for shared benefits.