????The ASEM High-Level Forum on Digital Connectivity was held in Qingdao on June 19 and 20. Wang Yang, the vice premier of the Chinese State Council and Yim Chhay Ly, the Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister attended the opening ceremony and delivered keynote speeches. The Qingdao Initiative, the outcome document formed in the forum, has fully reflected the wish and proposals of ASEM members for deepening cooperation in digital connectivity and the Initiative will be submitted to ASEM foreign ministers’ meeting and summit conference.
????The forum is jointly hosted by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industry and Information, Ministry of Commerce and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and undertaken by the Qingdao Municipal People’s Government. Themed with “Unleash innovative potential”, the forum focused on 4 topics namely ASEM internet industry development and cooperation, ASEM digital infrastructure construction, ASEM cross-border e-commerce, big data and industrial upgrade and the plenary meeting and 4 special sessions have been held in succession. Nearly 600 delegates from ASEM member governments, enterprises, business associations, research institutes and related international organizations attended the forum, discussed the crucial plan for co-building ASEM digital connectivity and co-painting a bright future for ASEM cooperation and reached a lot of consensus in strengthening ASEM digital connectivity.
????It is widely believed among the delegates that currently Internet and digital economy is increasingly becoming the leading force for innovation-driven development and dramatically transforming our way of living and strengthening the construction of ASEM digital connectivity is in the common interest of all ASEM members. This forum has provided an important platform for ASEM members to enhance communication and deepen cooperation. It is hoped that all walks of life can promote the consensus reached in the forum to be put into effect.
????This forum is a subsequent activity to implement the achievements of the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting as well as a vivid action for ASEM members to push forward Asia-Europe pragmatic cooperation. The concept of ASEM connectivity advocated by the forum corresponds well to the Belt and Road initiative. Jia Feng
????(The opening ceremony of the forum. By Zhou Guanghui)
????The National Marine Economy Development Plan has clearly stipulated “Qingdao Tasks”
????The other day, the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission and State Oceanic Administration jointly issued the 13th Five-year Plan for National Marine Economy Development. The major development tasks for Qingdao in the coming 4 years have been clearly stipulated in the plan.
????The major tasks related to the marine economy development in the plan include as follows. Carry forward the construction of Qingdao Blue Valley, support Qingdao to build up marine ranching, promote Qingdao to construct the Experimental Plot for Chinese Cruise Tourism Development, construct the Circum-Bohai Sea Region ocean engineering equipment manufacturing cluster mainly located in Dalian, Tianjin, Yantai and Qingdao, build the marine biotechnology and marine pharmaceutical research center based in Shanghai, Qingdao, Xiamen and Guangzhou, construct the Qingdao ocean energy equipment manufacturing base, promote Qingdao to construct the demonstration base for sea water desalination and comprehensive utilization, push forward the pollution treatment and ecological environment modification in Jiaozhou Bay, effectively prevent marine disasters such as red tide and green tide. Lin Gang
????Three Qingdao brands have become the designated drinks of SCO
????The secretariat of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has recently signed the cooperation agreement respectively with Tsingtao Beer Group and Qingdao Beverage Group. According to the agreements, Tsingtao beer, Qingdao Laoshan mineral water and Qingdao Huadong dry white wine have been designated as official drinks by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and will make their appearance in the subsequent official activities of SCO.
????These three brands becoming the official drinks designated by the secretariat of SCO reflects the competitiveness and internationalization level of Qingdao well-known brands. It can help Qingdao enterprises and products enhance their influence among the member countries of SCO and facilitate Qingdao enterprises to expand overseas markets. Yu Feng
????Qingdao is speeding up seawater desalination
????In the national seawater desalination work symposium for 16 provinces and cities, the seawater desalination work of Qingdao has won widespread recognition.
????In 2004, the first multi-effect seawater desalination device by distillation with proprietary intellectual property rights in China was put into use in Huangdao Power Plant, Qingdao and the localization rate of the device reached 99%. From then on a batch of key seawater desalination projects have been built up one by one. So far the seawater desalination capacity of Qingdao is over 230,000 cubic meters per day, accounting for nearly one fifth of the total quantity in China and enjoying the advanced level in China.
????In a couple of years to come, Qingdao will take the priority to construct 7 seawater desalination projects including the Blue Silicon Valley seawater desalination project, Huaneng Qingdao Power Plant Dong Jia Kou seawater desalination project and Datang Huangdao Power Plant seawater desalination project. It is planned to newly launch seawater desalination devices with the capacity of 200,800 cubic meters per day, which can increase the total capacity of seawater desalination in Qingdao to over 400,000 cubic meters per day. According to the long-term plan, by 2025 the total scope of seawater desalination in Qingdao will exceed 600,000 cubic meters per day. Lin Gang （The workshop of Qingdao Baifa Seawater Company. Taken by Fu Xuejun)
