China to unveil major sci-tech achievements in upcoming Zhongguancun Forum

BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- China's upcoming 2024 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) will focus on cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), life sciences and new materials, and unveil a series of major scientific and technological achievements of the country, an official with the Ministry of Science and Technology said Wednesday.

Chen Jiachang, vice minister of science and technology, made the remarks during a press conference in Beijing, noting that the forum will also see the establishment of a trade and cooperation platform featuring over 3,000 sci-tech achievements from more than 40 countries and regions.

During this year's ZGC Forum, scheduled in Beijing from April 25 to 29, China's opening-up and cooperation efforts will be highlighted by inviting international sci-tech organizations, scientists, innovative enterprises and investors, according to Chen.

Founded in 2007, the forum, with its enduring focus on innovation and development, has evolved into a national-level open innovation platform and an international forum over the years.

Themed "Innovation: Building a Better World," this year's edition will comprise five major sections, including forums and meetings, technology trading, unveiling of achievements, and competitions in cutting-edge fields.

Up to 120 events are planned this year, with invitations extended to top scientists, including Nobel laureates, to engage in discussions on open innovation and explore opportunities for mutual development.

According to Yu Yingjie, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Beijing Municipal Committee, the 2024 ZGC Forum will invite 19 international organizations and foreign government departments to host 17 parallel forums.

The competitions in cutting-edge fields have amassed over 3,100 entries from 75 countries and regions, covering areas such as quantum information, photon computing and metaverse.

Between April 27 and 29, the eighth China Science Fiction Convention, a parallel sub-forum of the 2024 ZGC Forum, will be held, with a focus on the technology, creation and industry development in the realm of science fiction.

Located in northwestern Beijing, Zhongguancun houses more than 17,000 national high-tech enterprises. It is China's first national high-tech industrial development zone and is known as "China's Silicon Valley."

The total revenue of major enterprises in Zhongguancun in 2023 is expected to reach 8.6 trillion yuan (about 1.2 trillion U.S. dollars), accounting for about 16.7 percent of the total for the 178 high-tech zones in the country, Yu said.