Chinese Vice President Han Zheng addresses the opening ceremony of the Global Trade and Investment Promotion Summit 2025 in Beijing, capital of China, May 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on Thursday called for joint efforts to promote transformation in global trade and investment in an era featuring digital and smart technologies.

Han made the remarks while addressing the opening ceremony of the Global Trade and Investment Promotion Summit 2025 in Beijing.

The widespread application of new industries and technologies, including the digital economy and artificial intelligence, is transforming the global trade and investment landscape, presenting great development opportunities, Han said.

He called for expanding the innovative application of digital and intelligent technologies to spur global economic recovery and development. Efforts should also be made to advance openness and cooperation, promote mutual benefit, uphold fairness and inclusiveness, and bridge the digital and intelligent divides, to create better conditions for international trade and investment cooperation, he added.

Han also stressed the necessity of ensuring stable and unimpeded global industrial and supply chains by leveraging digital and intelligent technologies.

China is committed to expanding high-standard opening up and promoting high-quality development, providing vast opportunities for businesses worldwide, he said.

Hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the Global Trade and Investment Promotion Summit was first held in 2022.

The summit this year focuses on the theme of embracing the era of digital and smart technologies and working together towards common development. Over 800 people, including heads of foreign government departments, international organizations, foreign business associations and global trade promotion bodies, as well as representatives of Chinese and overseas enterprises, attended the summit.

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng addresses the opening ceremony of the Global Trade and Investment Promotion Summit 2025 in Beijing, capital of China, May 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)