The 7th World Internet of Things Convention kicked-off in Beijing on Friday. Foreign officials, ambassadors, representatives from international organizations and businesses are attending the event. CGTN's Bi Ran has the story.

The Internet of Things is becoming one of the key sectors of technological innovation both in China and the world. This year, the annual World Internet of Things convention will look at how the digital economy, IoT and AI has reshaped the world.

HE XUMING Chairman, Executive Committee World Internet of Things Convention "In the future, only the mobile Internet and the agricultural and industrial production it supported can be the most advanced and scientific. The internet is the very tool to drive economic development, productivity increase, and social equity."

The coronavirus pandemic has again displayed the importance of interconnection between people, information, and the physical world, and how IoT connections change us.

At the convention, UN Secretary-General ANTÓNIO GUTERRES delivered a keynote speech via video on the potential brought by digital economy, while mentioning that people should know there still exists inequality and risks behind those technologies.

In China, mobile networks have developed into serving thousands of industries beyond merely serving people and information consumption. 2.31 million 5G base stations have been established in China, as it is taking the lead in global mobile IoT ecologic development.

SHAHBAZ KHAN Director, UNESCO Office in Beijing "Life has changed a lot, and China has made wonderful progress. And there are so many companies here which have brought the full power of the Internet of things, the artificial intelligence, big data, and during the coronavirus pandemic we also saw this has played a very big role in our lives when we were cut off from the world."

BI RAN Beijing "China has made rapid progress developing AIoT in the last few years. According to the Ministry of Industry and information Technology, China's mobile IoT connections accounted for 70 percent of the world's total in 2022. And the global market is estimated to exceed 30 trillion U.S. dollars, with billions of connections by 2025. Bi Ran, CGTN, Beijing."