A man plays table tennis with a robot on Qualcomm booth at the MWC (Mobile World Congress) Shanghai 2021 in Shanghai on February 23. Photo: IC

Mobile World Congress (MWC) Shanghai 2024 will take place at the Shanghai New International Expo Center and Kerry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai from Wednesday to Friday, with a focus on 5G and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, the Global Times learned on Sunday from host of the event, Global System for Mobile Communications Alliance (GSMA). 

MWC Shanghai is the largest and most influential gathering of the connectivity ecosystem in Asia.

The event has attracted exhibitors from China, Germany, India, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US. First-time exhibitors include Amazon Web Services, iFLYTEK, NIO and Xiaomi. Some returning exhibitors include China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, AMD, HONOR, Huawei, Lenovo and ZTE, according to the event host. 

MWC Shanghai offers an opportunity for innovators, creators, policymakers and business leaders from the connectivity ecosystem to drive positive change, and to showcase the latest products and services, John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA, said at a press conference on Sunday. 

Some key topics of the event include discussions on the impact of 5G as a driver for intelligence at the network edge, the potential of generative AI in creating new levels of interaction between humans and computers, and digital solutions being implemented in the manufacturing sector to enhance efficiency and production. More than 30 percent of the speakers are from international markets. 

The event is being held as Chinese companies push forward with technology breakthroughs, despite facing crackdowns by the US. The active participation of global players in the event also underscores China's commitment to opening up to global collaboration and its growing appeal for international technology companies. 

"China's innovation has, I think, outpaced other parts of the world in some areas. So that's definitely leading in the development of mobile ecosystem technology, devices and software development," Hoffman told the Global Times on the sidelines of the event.

China is making big strides in advancing 5G development. With more than 3.7 million 5G base stations installed nationwide, the large-scale application of 5G in China has greatly benefited both individuals and businesses, bringing significant convenience and opportunities, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

China has also attached great importance to AI development in recent years to build itself into a major global AI innovation center. 

According to a development plan for next-generation AI, China aims to become the world's major AI innovation center by 2030, with the scale of its AI core industry exceeding 1 trillion yuan ($140.9 billion), and the scale of related industries exceeding 10 trillion yuan.