The ASEM High-Level Forum on Digital Connectivity will take place in Qingdao on June 19-20, 2017. This Forum is a follow-up event to the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) held in July 2016, and co-organized by China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China and Ministry of Commerce of China.

19-20 June 2017 Shangri-La Hotel, Qingdao, China

Tentative Programme

18 June 2017 (Sunday) All day Arrival of Delegates
09:30 Optional Field Trip: Visits will be arranged to Qingdao Hi-tech
Development Zone, West Coast New District, Blue Silicon Valley,
Sino-German Ecological Park, Haier Group, Hisense Group, Red Collar
Group and etc.

19 June 2017 (Monday)
08:00 Registration
09:00 Opening Ceremony (Conference Hall, 2nd Floor, Qingdao Shangri-La Hotel) MC: Yin Zonghua, Deputy Chairman of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT)
Speech: JIANG Zengwei, Chairman of CCPIT
Welcome Remarks: Governor of Shandong Province
Speeches: High-Level Representatives from Co-Sponsors and other ASEM Members
Keynote Speech: … from the State Council of China (TBC)
10:20-10:40 Coffee Break
10:40 Plenary Session: Digital Connectivity – Unleashing Potential for Innovative Growth
Moderator: Yu Jianlong, Secretary-General of China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC)
Keynote Speeches by government officials and entrepreneurs from ASEM partners as well as international organization representatives
12:15 Buffet Lunch (Ballroom, 3rd Floor, Qingdao Shangri-La Hotel)
14:00 Session I: IT Industry Cooperation and Development
As IT technology keeps upgrading, Asia and Europe are in need of enhancing cooperation in IT industries and promoting connectivity to create “digital Asia-Europe”. This session will discuss current status, experience and cooperative directions of IT industry, IT industry development and copyright protection, Internet of Things/Internet of Vehicles, internet and finance, next generation of Internet and electric power development, Smart City building, shared economy – integrated development of IT industry and traditional industries and etc.
14:00 Session II: Digital Infrastructure
Infrastructure is the cornerstone of digital connectivity. The member countries of ASEM are working on filling the vast gap in digital world, raising investment for digital infrastructure and exploring potential of digital economy. This session will discuss current development, characteristics and cooperative visions of the construction of digital infrastructure, issues of opening international telecommunication market, case study on digital infrastructure investment, construction of telecommunication network (cross-border cables), market operation of digital infrastructure, digital infrastructure and 5G network, financing of digital
infrastructure and etc.(Session I and Session II are in parallel）
18:00 Reception and Dinner (Ballroom, 3rd Floor, Qingdao Shangri-La Hotel)

20 June 2017 (Tuesday)
09:00 Session III: Cross-Border E-commerce
As fundamental technology to drive the globalization of trade, cross-border e-commerce dose not only overcome the barriers of states, but also leads the revolution of international trade. This session will discuss trends of cross-border e-commerce, internet upgrading and new opportunities for cross-border e-commerce, effective methods to simplify goods imports-exports and transit procedures such as “single window”, payment and clearing, rights and interests protection, business cooperation in cross-border e-commerce and etc.
09:00 Session IV: Big Data and Industry Upgrading
The development and application of big data will stipulate the growth of productivity. Both traditional and emerging industrial countries highly value the integration of big data and manufacturing. This session will discuss intelligent manufacturing in Asia and Europe, big data for small and medium enterprises, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and service robot industry, security issues of big data, future of big data and cloud computing and etc. (Session III and Session IV are in parallel）
11:00 Coffee Break
11:10 Closing Ceremony (Conference Hall, 2nd Floor, Qingdao Shangri-La Hotel) MC: (TBC)
Moderators of the four sessions report to the plenary on the discussion.
Adoption of the outcome document (TBC)
Closing Remarks by officials from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, CCPIT and
Co-Sponsors
12:00 Buffet Lunch (Ballroom, 3rd Floor, Qingdao Shangri-La Hotel

A registration form is available by sending an e-mail to info@flanders-china.be