Themed "Digital Bridge Across the Himalayas," the Lhasa High-Level Forum of Global Digital Economy Conference (GDEC) 2024 was unveiled on July 29. Wang Qiang, deputy secretary of the Lhasa Committee of the Communist Party of China and mayor of the People's Government of Lhasa, Wang Dui, deputy director of the Department of Economy and Information Technology of Xizang and director of the Xizang Administration of Data Management, Mao Dongjun, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, and Guo Jinhai, a member of the Leading Party Members' Group of the Torch Center of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Leaders from relevant departments of the Xizang Autonomous Region and representatives from more than 130 leading digital enterprises and industry associations attended the forum.

Under the influence of science and technology and the economy, Lhasa, thanks to its unique natural environment, national and local policies, and its strong desire to improve life and promote economic growth, has demonstrated a huge potential and distinctive advantages in developing the digital economy.

Wang Qiang, deputy secretary of the Lhasa Committee of the Communist Party of China and mayor of the People's Government of Lhasa, introduced Lhasa's five advantages in developing the digital economy, namely, climate, energy, carbon sink, policy, and costs. He said in the face of a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial changes, Lhasa will take advantage of the Belt and Road Initiative to develop the digital economy and become a crucial platform for opening up and outbound cooperation as the country's significant channel to South Asia, an important node city, a comprehensive bonded zone, and a comprehensive pilot zone for cross-border e-commerce.

Wang Dui, deputy director of the Department of Economy and Information Technology of Xizang and director of the Xizang Administration of Data Management, said that Lhasa will focus on digital reform, data, digital infrastructure, and empowerment from integration and make continuous breakthroughs in the digital economy to create a "Xizang pattern" for the development of new quality productive forces on the new journey of Chinese modernization.

Mao Dongjun, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, spoke highly of Lhasa's achievements in the digital economy. He pointed out that many big data centers and a national clean energy base have been built in Lhasa, a national "dual gigabit" demonstration city. These achievements fully demonstrate Lhasa's determination and ability to develop the digital economy. He said deepening the digital cooperation between Beijing and Lhasa is particularly important in this context.

Guo Jinhai, a member of the Leading Party Members' Group of the Torch Center of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), said since the first GDEC set up the Lhasa High-Level Forum, Lhasa has become an important bridge and link for Beijing and Xizang to work together for the development of the digital economy. He spoke highly of Lhasa's remarkable achievements in the digital economy and expressed hope that the city would continue to give full play to its unique geographical and cultural advantages, actively integrate into the global digital economy network, and deepen cooperation with more developed regions in China and abroad to contribute to the writing of a new chapter in the digital economy.

Themed "Beijing Lights up Lhasa," this year’s Lhasa High-Level Forum consists of one main forum and three sub-forums, covering topics like "Digital Economic Zones Create New Quality Productive Forces," "Digital Cultural Tourism Bolsters Regional Tourism," and "Digital Economy Empowers Financial Business Districts."