November 3, 2026
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Friends,
It is a pleasure to gather here with all of you—friends old and new—in this beautiful water town in southern China for the opening of the 2026 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit. On behalf of the Chinese government, I wish to extend a warm welcome to all participants and express our heartfelt thanks to all of you who have cared about and supported China’s Internet and information development over the years.
This year marks the 13th edition of the World Internet Conference. More than a decade ago, 4G was just rolled out, cloud computing was waiting for its moment, and AI had yet to leave the laboratory. Today, new technologies are emerging one after another, and the Internet has undergone dramatic changes. The Internet of Things and intelligent connectivity are reaching countless households and empowering all industries. But more importantly, despite rapid technological advances, one major question of common concern remains unchanged: how can the Internet better benefit humanity? At the 2015 World Internet Conference, President Xi Jinping put forward the vision of building a community with a shared future in cyberspace, offering a Chinese approach to Internet development and governance. Over the years, China has worked closely with the international community to promote the innovation-driven development and effective governance of the Internet. Now, the Internet is deeply integrated into people’s daily life and production. What was once a “technological increment” has become a “constant of our times.” As technology continues to make breakthroughs and the world becomes increasingly interconnected, this constant is also becoming a “historical variable” that shapes the development of human society. This requires us to understand and grasp it from a future-oriented and broader perspective. In this connection, I would like to take this opportunity to share three observations with you.
I. Internet development is undergoing an intelligent transformation and a systemic leap.
We meet at a time when the Internet is converging at an accelerating pace with technologies such as AI, cloud computing and blockchain, and moving toward an intelligent Internet that will have an even broader and more profound impact on economic and social development.
First, the Internet is not merely infrastructure; it is shaping an entirely new way of life. After years of development, the Internet is now ubiquitous and ever-present, reaching into every corner of our lives, and being used everyday and taken for granted. Here in this thousand-year-old town, Internet elements are integrated in every dimension: cloud connectivity, cyber habitation, and smart living have become commonplace. A growing array of new terminals—intelligent connected vehicles, service robots, smart glasses, and more—are becoming new touchpoints for the Internet and will shape a new way of living and unlock boundless possibilities for a better future.
Second, the Internet is not merely a technological means; it is a driving force for industrial transformation. Over the years, by bridging the online and offline, production and consumption, and urban and rural areas, the Internet has driven remarkable efficiency gains and profound changes across all sectors of the economy. Empowered by the Internet, R&D cycles have been significantly shortened, customized and flexible production is flourishing, and trade has broken free from the constraints of time and space, and has been greatly expanded. As the Internet converges and combines with new technologies, computing, electricity, data, and networks are becoming deeply integrated and mutually reinforcing. This will drive new leaps in industrial organization and production methods, unlocking new potential for economic growth.
Third, the Internet is not merely an information carrier; it is a force for intelligent generation. Over the years, from web portals to search engines, from online social networking to mobile network, the Internet has always served as a vehicle for carrying and disseminating knowledge and information. With the integration of an increasing number of large models and intelligent agents, the Internet is evolving toward intelligent connectivity and human-machine collaboration, and is beginning to acquire capabilities for self-learning, decision-making, execution and autonomous evolution. This will broaden the horizon of the mind, accelerate the emergence of collective intelligence, and provide powerful energy and momentum for the progress of human civilization.
II. In today’s world, Internet development needs to place greater emphasis on a people-centered value orientation.
Driven by AI and other new technologies, the Internet is evolving at a pace one could never have imagined, and its development now stands at a crossroads: should it go for technological supremacy or take a people-centered approach? Many worry that if we fall into the trap of believing that technology is omnipotent and allow technological logic to overwhelm the humanistic spirit, innovation will spin out of control and lose its way, individuals may be swept along, and civilization may be trimmed to fit. We believe the ultimate purpose of Internet development must be to promote people’s all-round development. Our initiative to build a community with a shared future in cyberspace is intended to ensure that Internet-related technologies enhance people’s capabilities, expand their choices, affirm human worth, and improve their well-being—rather than make people subordinate to technology, still less allow technology to exacerbate divisions in human development. With this in mind, several issues deserve particular attention.
First, the entangled relationship between humans and machines. In an era of intelligent connectivity, the Internet is connecting people and machines ever more deeply, and the traditional relationship of “using and being used” between them is becoming increasingly blurred. Activities that once only humans could perform are gradually being taken over by machines. Many now say, “Machines are becoming more and more like humans, while humans are becoming more and more like machines.” This has fueled fears that humans will be controlled by machines and created a sense of crisis about where humanity is headed. In this age of technological explosion, how do humans coexist with machines, how to ensure that technology remains under human control, and how to preserve the spirit and qualities that make us human? These have become urgent new challenges. The Internet and AI should extend human capabilities and serve as means of liberation, not as wholesale replacements for people. However powerful the Internet becomes, and however “human-like” AI may be, human agency must remain paramount. Machines must remain trustworthy tools that help people achieve higher-quality employment and develop themselves more fully.
Second, the ethical implications of algorithms and models. Algorithms and models are the signature of AI, yet they have seeped into every corner of the Internet. The Internet employs them to serve us and also to quietly shape us. They bring efficiency, but also unsettle traditional humanistic spirit and human ethics. People often lament, “The algorithm knows you better than you know yourself.” When algorithms put efficiency above all else, ordinary workers may get trapped in the system. When big-data price discrimination tramples on rights and interests, the principles of fairness and honesty may be undermined. When algorithmic bias widens differences, social division may intensify. When information cocoons harden our views, knowledge diversity and cultural exchange may get impeded. As human development has shown, instrumental rationality and value rationality must go hand in hand; technology should not chase efficiency alone; more importantly, it must carry a humanistic core and stay positive. We must underpin new technologies with the common values of humanity so that they can better serve human will, meet human needs, and observe the moral code of human society.
Third, the security risks of digital-physical integration. The Internet links everything and connects the real and virtual worlds. While bringing unprecedented convenience and opportunities to the human society, it also causes unprecedented security risks. New security risks, once materialized, would have wider impacts in more covert ways, with real-world consequences ever harder to predict. Cyberattacks and data theft undermine social stability; model hallucinations and data poisoning distort public perception of reality; deepfakes and disinformation corrode public trust. As digital-physical integration speeds up, smart grids, smart homes, and smart factories have become part of our daily work and life. It is therefore imperative for us to have more controllable technology innovation, more robust security safeguards, and more comprehensive cooperation, so as to better balance development with security and jointly maintain peace and security of the human society.
Fourth, the quest for fairness in addressing the digital and AI divide. The advance of technology brings new development dividends, but it can also breed new inequalities and development gaps. Areas without Internet access may turn into isolated “digital islands”; people short on digital literacy may fall into “digital predicaments.” Most notably, with higher capability and faster iteration, the development of AI and other new technologies would magnify the Matthew Effect. Today, more than two billion people worldwide are still offline. In large AI models, high-quality datasets, high-performance computing power, and high-speed communication networks, a huge gap exists between countries. Without effective measures, the North-South development imbalance and the wealth divide could grow wider and ultimately evolve into a rift of our times. How can we ensure that the fruits of technological progress reach everyone in society and that new technologies become public goods benefiting the whole world? That is the defining question of our times, one that bears on the well-being of all humanity.
III. We need to jointly build a community with a shared future in cyberspace.
When our world becomes an interconnected whole and the machine begins to have a mind of its own, humanity’s future is more closely intertwined than ever before. Living in an era where the old gives way to the new, risks coexist with opportunities, and changes unfold alongside constancy, no country can prosper on their own. Members of the the international community must forge stronger consensus and move in the same direction to jointly build a community with a shared future in cyberspace that is more substantive in content.
First, we should harness the power of technology to open new grounds for development. The rapid advance of the Internet and AI brings significant opportunities. We should bolster scientific and technological innovation, encourage open source and openness, strengthen collaborative research and support large-scale application of new technologies and products. China will continue to pursue open innovation, promote technology transfer and knowledge sharing, and work with all to build an open, inclusive and dynamic global ecosystem for digital innovation, push for innovative development of the Internet and cultivate new drivers for global growth.
Second, we should ensure credibility and controllability to strengthen the shields of digital security. The faster technology innovates, the more we need to keep a tight rein on security. We should stay committed to promoting common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and step up practical cooperation to ensure security across the digital domain and prevent the loss of control and abuse of technology. Meanwhile, we need to oppose overstretching the concept of national security and erecting digital iron curtains. China will respect the legitimate cybersecurity concerns of all countries and work with all in the world to confront security challenges and strengthen the safeguards for digital security.
Third, we should pursue universally beneficial and balanced development to promote the sharing of digital dividends. Bridging the digital and AI divide is vital for the equitable and long-term development of the world. We should pay full attention to the demands of various countries, particularly those from the Global South, and redouble our efforts to promote universally beneficial development and prevent new forms of injustice. China will actively implement the Global Development Initiative, and support the Global South countries in building digital infrastructure, cultivating digital talents and enhancing digital capacity, so that digital and AI dividends could better benefit the world.
Fourth, we should advance open dialogue to improve the multilateral governance system. Given the different approaches and pathways adopted by countries to conduct cyberspace governance, it is only natural for them to disagree on certain issues. The important thing is to strengthen coordination and cooperation rather than deliberately escalate friction. We should practice true multilateralism, maximize common interests and promote more just and equitable global Internet governance. China will actively build dialogue platforms based on the principle of extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, and contribute more Chinese wisdom to improving cyberspace governance.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Friends,
The leapfrog development of the Internet and the changes that come with it are truly mind-blowing, and Wuzhen is living proof of such great transformation. This millennium-old water town, which was known for its whitewashed walls, dark-tiled roofs and serene waterside setting, has developed into a global pacesetter of Internet development. Here in Wuzhen, historical traditions meet contemporary transformations, humanistic values inspire advanced science and technology, and shared visions translate into concerted actions. Here in Wuzhen, we feel the beating pulse of cutting-edge industries, witness the immense power of digital and intelligent technologies, and harvest the bumper fruits of global cooperation. It is the same Wuzhen, but a brand new town. We hope the light of Internet will shine ever brighter in Wuzhen. Riding the digital and intelligent tide, China will work with the international community to ensure that digital and intelligent technologies better serve global development and the well-being of all humanity.
I wish the 2026 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit a full success. Thank you!