Technology advances leave stamp on G20

The two key media conferences addressed by President Xi Jinping in China in the last two years that I attended have seen a lot of changes, indeed.

His address to the media after the conclusion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting in November 2014 in Beijing was dominated by television crews. Live video feeds of broadcasters stood out.

But on Monday, his media conference at 11th G20 Leaders Summit in East China's Hangzhou saw print media journalists online media or news websites' reporters making faster moves.

This can be attributed to the boom in live streaming technology on the internet in the past year. For viewers, livewebcasts are now just a click away. What's more, they can be accessed on mobile phones.

Unsurprisingly, multimedia journalists were everywhere, trying to engross their viewers, who were presumably consuming G20-related content on hand-held devices.

This produced some interesting moments. When a presenter of China Central Television was introducing the venue to a national audience, several cyber journalists representing national or local newspaper groups simply parked themselves near the presenter.

That's all they had to do to livestream the event.

Their headsets comprising earphones and microphones, which were plugged into their camera-equipped, internet-ready handsets, were enough to beam the event live to their respective audiences.

Technology now makes live broadcasts simple. It is no longer just for the privileged few but a dream come true for many. Live streaming is attracting growing public attention, particularly in China, besides increasing revenue for those involved, and helping transform traditional media outlets.

Mobile live casting symbolizes the ongoing technology revolution and innovation that have been shaping the Chinese economy in the last two years.

Now with a swipe or scan of QR or quick-response code using a mobile phone, buying fast food at a KFC restaurant or paying for stamps and souvenirs at the G20 summit press center is possible.

As world leaders, tycoons, corporate icons and officials converged on Hangzhou, it became increasingly clear that there is no escape for anyone from technology, especially of the hand-held variety. This was best exemplified by Robin Li, CEO of Chinese internet search engine Baidu, who grabbed a quick moment with Argentine President Mauricio Macri for a selfie at the B20 summit.

Contact the writer at zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn