A ministerial forum themed "Smart Society and Sustainable Development" will be held in Wuzhen, east China's Zhejiang province on Oct. 20, which serves as a sub-forum of the sixth World Internet Conference (WIC).

Ministers from various countries, heads of international organizations, and world-renowned experts will attend the forum and discuss topics such as the vision and route of a smart society, the government's role in building an intelligent society, and how the smart society will boost sustainable development.

The concept of "smart society" was also proposed in the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China to help make China a country of innovators.

China is entering into a new phase of building a smart society, and is expected to redouble efforts in this regard as the building of a smart society is of great significance for meeting people's ever-growing needs for a better life.

Hosted by People's Daily and co-organized by the China Internet Development Foundation, China Telecom and People's Daily Online, this year's forum will focus on both the current development and sustainable future of the smart society.

The "smart society" is an upgraded version of the "smart city".