Xi'an Initiative launched at Global Programmers' Festival

By Li Huiru
0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, November 10, 2017
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As the world is becoming increasingly interconnected, digitized and intelligent, companies and governments across the world are talking about smart manufacturing, artificial intelligence, big data and virtual reality. Software lies at the core of this evolution.

Wang Yongkang, party chief of of Xi'an, coded a short program to kick start the first Global Programmers' Festival.

Wang Yongkang, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Xi'an Municipal Committee, coded a short program to kick start the first Global Programmers' Festival. [Photo/China.org.cn]

A major new initiative to boost cloud computing cooperation among nations participating in the Belt and Road Initiative was launched in the city of Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province on Nov. 9 during the ongoing Global Programmers' Festival.

Presented by local and international representatives from technology parks along the routes, the new program aims to broaden the scope of their cooperation in the field of digital technology and software.

Xi'an Mayor Shangguan Jiqing said in his opening address that the inland city that historically formed one end of the old Silk Road hoped the festival would showcase its software development and superior talent, and explore better ways to meet the software needs of countries along the Belt and Road.

Xi'an's ultimate vision is to build itself into a "Silicon Valley on the Silk Road" by integrating local innovation with global intelligence.

Henry Chen, Board Chairman & CEO of Chinasoft International Ltd., in his role as a representative of local software companies, explained to a China.org.cn reporter the reason why Xi'an was chosen to host such event.

"Xi'an will become China's third international city in 2020, following Beijing and Shanghai," he said. "As the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, under the Belt and Road Initiative, it is quickly becoming the software and IT hub of Western China and a gateway to Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe."

According to Lyu Dongguo, director of Xi'an Software Park Development Center, the local government in Xi'an attaches great importance to attracting software talents and has developed a set of favorable policies to achieve this, so as to ensure speedy development of the park.

"We have published a set of policies and measures to attract global IT talents. Particularly, we are providing high quality education to their children so that they are free of worries and can stay longer," said Lye, who is also director of Xi'an Software Town Administration Office.

As one of the four industrial parks recognized as both a National Software Industrial Base and National Software Export Base in China, the Xi'an Software Park has attracted many domestic and international companies, including Huawei, ZTE, IBM, J&J, BYD and Emerson. A total of 38 of the top 100 software companies in China are based here.

The Global Programmers' Festival, with the theme of "Coding the Belt and Road, Coding the Future," encompasses four components: (1) a forum to share ideas on coding; (2) an exhibition of coding technologies; (3) a competitive event to show off coding skills; and (4) a celebration on Xi'an's City Wall to show off the spirit of programmers. The event has attracted more than 400 opinion leaders from the software industry, senior executives from leading technology companies, and scholars from universities and research institutes.

The Festival is hosted by the Xi'an People's Municipal Government and the China Information Technology Industry Federation with guidance from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and Shaanxi People's Provincial Government and support from the Torch High Technology Industry Development Center of Ministry of Science & Technology, and the Department of Trade in Services and Commercial Services of Ministry of Commerce.

The event is collectively undertaken by the Xi'an Hi-tech Industries Development Zone, Xi'an Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, Xi'an Municipal Industry and Information Committee, Xi'an Municipal Bureau of Commerce, and Xi'an Investment Promotion Committee. Xi'an Software Park and Chinasoft International are jointly executing the event.

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