Seize the opportunity of digital economy development and strengthen the resilience of supply chain in Asia-Pacific region

　　Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, November 2 (Reporter Pan Jie) Faced with the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, how can the upstream and downstream supply chains in different areas of APEC economies achieve cross-border coordination and promote economic recovery and growth? At the APEC Forum on Strengthening Supply Chain Resilience and Promoting Economic Recovery held on the 2nd, many guests believed that we should seize the development opportunities brought by the digital economy and strengthen cooperation in e-commerce and digital trade development, so as to improve the resilience and vitality of the industrial chain and promote economic recovery and growth.

　　"The epidemic has made us pay more attention to digital transformation, and also let us see the important role of digitalization in promoting trade facilitation." Rebecca Maria, Executive Director of APEC Secretariat, said that APEC member governments are expected to further strengthen investment in digitalization and innovation, deepen exchanges and cooperation, further enhance the level of trade liberalization and facilitation, and promote the continuous strengthening of supply chain resilience.

　　Lu Mei, a senior APEC official in China and deputy director of the International Economic Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, believes that developing the digital economy is a key opportunity to grasp the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation. It is necessary to keep up with the development trend of digital economy and promote the digital transformation and upgrading of traditional enterprises; Comprehensively and balancedly implement the APEC Internet and digital economy roadmap, and strengthen the interconnection in the digital age; Strengthen digital capacity building, focus on cooperation among women, small and medium-sized enterprises and agriculture, and bridge the digital divide.

　　"We are willing to work with APEC members to actively participate in issues consultation and economic and trade cooperation in frontier areas such as digital economy, big data and artificial intelligence under the guidance of the 2040 APEC Boutragaya Vision, tap the potential of innovation growth, improve the innovation rules and institutional environment, deepen innovation exchanges and cooperation, promote the sharing of research and development results, and stimulate market vitality and social creativity to a greater extent." Lin Nianxiu, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, said.

　　Zhang Shaogang, vice president of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said that the business community is a constructive force to enhance the resilience of the industrial chain and promote the recovery and growth of the world economy. It should seize the development opportunity of the digital economy, encourage the development and cooperation of e-commerce and digital trade, strengthen the cooperation of digital platforms in the supply chain, and enhance the intelligence level of the industrial chain supply chain.

　　The forum was hosted by the National Development and Reform Commission. Representatives of the APEC Secretariat and Economic Commission, government officials of member economies, representatives of embassies and consulates, experts and scholars, entrepreneurs and other Chinese and foreign guests conducted in-depth exchanges and discussions on topics such as "maintaining the stable operation of the supply chain, supporting free and open trade", "smoothing the cross-border circulation of people and goods, strengthening the supply chain security system" and "applying digital technology and green technology to enhance the resilience of the supply chain".