2017 WIC Overview

The fourth World Internet Conference took place in the East China town of Wuzhen from Dec 3 to Dec 5, 2017. Themed on "Developing digital economy for openness and shared benefits -- building a community of common future in cyberspace", the event has been an annual event organized by the Cyberspace Administration of China and the government of Zhejiang province since 2014.

It is a platform for building a community of common future in cyberspace, promoting worldwide respect for diversity, focusing on mutual development, forging consensus and boosting innovation. 

During the conference, government representatives, heads of international organizations, experts, scholars, and entrepreneurs attended 20 forums, displaying their achievements in innovation and discussing means of cooperation.

Well-known tech companies from around the world, including Apple, Alibaba, and Huawei, released their latest products at the conference.

Two reports were also issued at the conference on Dec 4, covering the development of the internet around the world and in China.

According to the reports, China's digital economy reached 22.58 trillion yuan (about $3.4 trillion) in 2016, ranking second globally and accounting for 30.3 percent of the national GDP.

As of June 2017, there were 3.89 billion internet users around the world, of whom 751 million were in China, the most of any country worldwide, said the reports.