The Digital Economy Thematic Forum of World Youth Development Forum held in Beijing, the capital of China, on July 23. Photo: China Youth Daily

The Thematic Forum for Digital Economy of the World Youth Development Forum was held in Beijing on Saturday, focusing on how to promote youth participation at the global level and jointly meet the opportunities and challenges of the digital economy.

Attracting nearly 400 politicians, scholars, entrepreneurs, heads of international organizations and youth leaders from all over the world, the Thematic Forum for Digital Economy is an important part of the World Youth Development Forum, which was announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the High-level Dialogue on Global Development on June 24. This forum aims to bring together the broadest possible forces for the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

At the opening speech of the forum, Chief Economist of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Xu Kemin said that the digital economy is the future of the world economy and it is becoming a key force for restructuring global factor resources, reshaping global economic structures and changing global competition patterns

China has always adhered to inclusive development and providing benefit to the people of all countries, it has advocated for joint governance and shared benefits, and promoted mutually beneficial integration, Xu noted, hoping that the younger generations who grow and co-develop alongside internet technologies can actively share relevant knowledge and practice, so as to jointly participate in the construction of a global digital economy.

At the heart of the current digital economy lies the largest and most tech-savvy generation of young people in history, Beate Trankmann, the representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in China, said in her speech that these "digital natives" have enough potential to create innovative solutions to promote social progress, and also have the ability to make contributions to build a more inclusive and sustainable world.

China's digital economy reached 45.5 trillion yuan in 2021, up 16.2 percent year-on-year, according to the Digital Economy Development in China 2022 report released by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT).

According to the 2021 Employment Development of China's Digital Economy released by CAICT, the employment of the consumption-oriented tertiary industry in the field of industrial digitalization accounts for as much as 60.2 percent, and the talent demand is far higher than that of the first and second industries. It has a strong ability to attract talents in the fields of new media, we media, live broadcasting and video sharing.

The rapid development of the digital economy is driving changes in the way of production, lifestyles and governance, creating hundreds of millions of jobs and opening up unprecedented new employment opportunities for young people not only in China but also all around the world.

One audience recorded the scene with his mobile phone on the Digital Economy Thematic Forum of World Youth Development Forum on July 23. Photo: China Youth Daily

In the sharing session of youth engagement of the Digital Economy Thematic Forum, young entrepreneurs from different countries including China, India and Bangladesh, shared their experience in using digital technology to empower industry development, contributing youth wisdom to the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Himadrish Suwan, chairman of Confederation of Young Leaders of India, told the conference that the lives of Indian residents have become more convenient and faster thanks to the digital economy.

Nakazono Kenji, president of Japan Seinendan Council, said Japanese youths are constantly using digital technology to innovate. "Modern people, represented by young people, are enjoying the benefits of the digital economy. Each of us should take a hard look at the society we want and strive for a better future," he said.

Young entrepreneurs in China are also receiving support from international organizations. Trankmann said that UNDP, through its Youth Co: LAB, has been supporting Chinese young people through e-commerce platforms to help farmers sell agricultural products on internet platforms in the past four years to promote rural revitalization in China.

"We need the support of everyone, including governments and businesses. Digitalization has become an increasingly integral part of every aspect of our society. Young people's innovative thinking will help lead this ongoing technological revolution," Trankmann said.

As an industry committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the mobile industry has a responsibility to build a digital world where every young person has an equal opportunity to participate, said Mats Granryd, director General of GSMA.