Ren Xianliang, secretary-general of the World Internet Conference (WIC) and dean of the WIC Digital & AI Academy, met with participants of the E-Commerce for Development: 5th Training on Building an Enabling Policy Environment for E-commerce and Digital Economy in Beijing on June 16.

Thirty-five economic and trade officials from 30 countries, such as Morocco, Thailand, Turkiye, and South Africa, attended the meeting.

Welcoming the participants, Ren said that in an era of rapid technological advancement, the WIC, the WTO and trade authorities around the world share the common goals of promoting fairer, more inclusive and more sustainable trade, narrowing the digital divide and ensuring that digital technologies benefit people worldwide.

He noted that digital, network-based and intelligent transformation is advancing in parallel and reshaping global development. Through its international platform, the WIC is committed to sharing technological achievements and development opportunities with the rest of the world, he added.

Ren also highlighted open-source technology as a strategic pathway for developing countries to achieve leapfrog development.

He noted that among WIC members are many leading enterprises and research institutions engaged in open-source innovation, and that the organization is actively promoting the sharing of open-source achievements with Global South countries.

Such efforts, he said, represent a practical example of building a community with a shared future in cyberspace through technological cooperation.

Participating officials engaged in active discussions on cross-border data flows, digital trade rules, artificial intelligence and open-source collaboration.

They also expressed keen interest in strengthening cooperation between the WIC and Global South countries through joint events, capacity-building programs and think tank exchanges.

The training program was hosted by the International Trade Centre (ITC). A representative of the ITC praised the WIC's continued efforts to advance the development of emerging technologies and bridge the digital divide — particularly its role in providing a valuable platform for dialogue and cooperation among developing countries.

Participants also took part in a field study organized by the WIC Digital & AI Academy. At the Zhongguancun Internet 3.0 Industrial Park in Beijing's Chaoyang district, they explored innovative AI applications in spatial interaction, media, entertainment and cultural heritage preservation and gained first-hand insights into new business models and emerging forms of economic activity enabled by digital technologies.