Hongqiao forum set to assist global exchanges

As a major supporting event at the China International Import Expo, the Hongqiao International Economic Forum serves as a crucial platform for global exchanges, according to officials and experts.

In the address at an event promoting subforums and previewing topics of the Hongqiao forum on Friday, Sun Chenghai, deputy director-general of the CIIE Bureau, said preparatory work for the sixth CIIE has achieved significant progress and the forum will continue to produce high-quality results, strengthen topic research, invite high-profile guests and refine service guarantees to ensure better outcomes.

Nobel laureate Angus Deaton expressed gratitude for being invited to participate in the sixth Hongqiao forum. He said consumer spending has always been an important indicator for understanding the economy, particularly in present-day China, and he will share insights on a topic focused on observing new consumer trends and stimulating new consumption potential.

Turing Award winner Jack Dongarra, who will participate in a subforum on intelligent technology and future industrial development, also weighed in. "The intelligent technology field is flourishing with the advent of supercomputers and artificial intelligence, which make computing faster and thinking more agile," he said.

Dongarra noted that science and technology giants, including Chinese companies, face "unimaginable opportunities" and will ultimately reshape future industries. He said he hopes to listen to the latest views of guests from all walks of life in this field and is looking forward to the development direction of intelligent systems.

Wang Dawei, economic affairs officer at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, or UNCTAD, said the Hongqiao forum provides a unique platform for communication and can promote more international dialogue and cooperation.

Wang promoted a subforum revolving around developing green investment and trade as well as building a global ecological civilization, which will be co-hosted by the UNCTAD. With the background of global economic growth and climate change, the subforum will pay more attention to challenges that developing countries face in their green transformation, according to Wang, and guests from government departments, international organizations, research institutions and business sectors have been invited to provide input.