The 2021 World Internet of Things Convention has been held in Beijing having been postponed for a number of months due to the pandemic. The gathering included online discussions for those who couldn't attend in person. Our Cao Chufeng has more.

The Internet of Things is one of the latest technological innovations to hit our daily lives. It's essentially the linking of various physical objects and systems over the Internet and is one of the principle ideas behind the building of a smart city.

Every year, the World Internet of Things Convention looks at how this technology can be developed in a sustainable way. Foreign officials and ambassadors, representatives from international organizations and businesses, and experts take part in the meeting.

SHAHBAZ KHAN Director, UNESCO Office in Beijing "Together we can raise the bar at the right standard in using AI and the Internet of Things."

SIROUS VATANKHAN MOGHADDAM President, Center for Progress and Devt. of Iran Presidency "I really hope to see increasing cooperation between Iranian and Chinese companies and organizations in the IoT sector."

Experts say the Internet of Things can help take the world to a new level of technological sophistication. It's still in its very early stages of development, so there's massive scope for growth. China is one of the lead countries when it comes to IoT infrastructure, and application development.

HE XUMING Chairman, WIOTC Executive Committee "Take the pandemic, for example. Since the outbreak two years ago, China has done a good job in IoT infrastructure building and application developing. So China has successfully used the IoT technology to help trace positive cases."

A new white paper was released by the organizers during the Convention. It outlines the current status of IoT development, and some possible applications and models for future development and cooperation. The document says global cooperation in this sector is crucial, to help build "The global interconnection of all things."

SHI DINGHUAN Executive Chairman, WIOTC Executive Committee "Transnational cooperation in IoT is complex, because countries differ in culture, economic development basis and social structure. In order to achieve common development, we need to build a communication platform and try to come up with a standardized technology system. That is the original intention of releasing this white paper."

CAO CHUFENG Beijing "Along with the general discussions on the Internet of Things, the event is also holding several summits focusing on the use of the internet on more specific sectors, such as health care, Agriculture and transportation. The aim is to create more cooperation between businesses and organizations in those sectors. Cao Chufeng, CGTN, Beijing."