Building global consensus and bolstering confidence in world economic recovery 
is a critical task for the 17th G20 Summit, with the theme "Recover Together, 
Recover Stronger."

As a new driving force for global economic growth, the digital economy has 
great significance. The added value of the digital economy in 47 countries 
around the world reached $38.1 trillion in 2021, with an increase of 15.6 
percent year on year, according to a report titled "World Internet Development 
Report 2022".

Against this background, China on Wednesday called on G20 members to make joint 
efforts in invigorating digital cooperation so as to let the fruits of the 
development of the digital economy benefit people of all countries.

Building global digital economic paradigm

China stands ready to continue cooperating with the G20 members to jointly 
build a global digital economic paradigm featuring benefits for all, balance, 
coordination, inclusiveness, win-win cooperation and common prosperity, said 
Chinese President Xi Jinping when attending and addressing the summit in 
Indonesia's resort island of Bali.

Multilateralism must be upheld, Xi stressed, calling for strengthened 
international cooperation.

Noting that development should be prioritized, the Chinese president said the 
digital gap must be bridged and innovation should serve as the driving force 
for promoting post-pandemic recovery.

During the 2016 Hangzhou G20 Summit, China for the first time put the digital 
economy on the G20 agenda, vowing to innovate development patterns and tap 
growth potential.

At the following summits of the group in 2017 and 2018, world leaders also held 
extensive discussions on how to strengthen cooperation in developing the 
digital economy while addressing the challenges brought about by new 
technologies.

During these years, multiple G20 summits have made it clear that the digital 
economy is an increasingly important driver of global economic growth, and the 
G20, which includes the world's major economies, represents the leading force 
in the development of the digital economy.

China in action

The Chinese president also underlined that China will continue to work with G20 
members to foster a "balanced, coordinated and inclusive" global digital 
economy landscape that brings benefits to all and features win-win cooperation 
and shared prosperity.

China has launched the initiative of building a Digital Silk Road, and has 
identified digital economy as a key area of cooperation under the Global 
Development Initiative, according to Xi.

China has proposed the G20 Action Plan on Digital Innovation and Cooperation, 
which is aimed at promoting the innovative application of digital technology 
and making innovation outcomes beneficial to all and shared by all, and 
welcomes the participation of all parties, Xi said.

China, as the world's second largest economy and the largest developing 
country, has attached great importance to developing the digital economy, and 
its digital development will inject new impetus into global economic recovery 
and create new opportunities for common development.

Over the past decade, China has witnessed remarkable progress in its digital 
economy, the value of which reached 45.5 trillion yuan (about $6.3 trillion) in 
2021, accounting for 39.8 percent of the country's GDP, according to a report 
released by the Chinese Academy of Cyberspace Studies on November 9.

By June 2022, there were 1.05 billion internet users in China, and the internet 
penetration rate had reached 74.4 percent, read a white paper titled "Jointly 
Build a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace" released by China's State 
Council Information Office on November 7.

The country hosts the world's largest 5G network and is one of the global 
leaders in 5G standards and technology, with 1.85 million 5G cell towers and 
455 million 5G cell phone subscribers, according to the white paper.

Still, the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) and long-range objectives through 
2035, which map out a blueprint for the country's new journey toward the full 
construction of a modern socialist country, makes it clear that China will 
continue to put efforts in promoting the digital economy.

The country aims to raise the proportion of the added value of core digital 
economy industries in its GDP to 10 percent in 2025, up from 7.8 percent in 
2020, according to the plan.

By 2025, China will see the digital transformation of industries reach a new 
level, digital public services will become more inclusive, and the digital 
economy governance system will improve noticeably, as per the plan.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-11-16/China-calls-for-digital-cooperation-to-boost-global-economic-recovery-1f0OuLDSeCQ/index.html 
 

SOURCE:  CGTN