《新文科大学英语》unit8 3 Digital Silk Road

新文科大学英语教师用书Unit8Reading1AdditionalresourcesDigitalizingtheSilkRoadByLiuYushuJan21,2020Source:TheEconomistTheInternationalCooperationAlongtheDigitalSilkRoadforumisheldinWuzhen,ZhejiangProvinceineastChina,onNovember8,2018(XINHUA)ThePakistan-EastAfricasubmarinefiberopticcableconnectsPakistanwithKenyaviaDjiboutianditwillalsoconnectEuropeviaaterrestrialcablesystem,buildinganewdigitaleconomichighwayforAfrica,EuropeandCentralAsia.ThisisjustoneexampleofawiderangeofcooperationtakingplaceamongcountriesparticipatingintheBeltandRoadInitiative,whichhaslaidasolidfoundationforthedevelopmentofanopen,inclusiveandtransparentglobaldigitaleconomyinthefutureandattractedworldwideattention.PopularinitiativeCurrently,ChinaisworkingwithbothhardwareandsoftwareconnectivityintheconstructionofthedigitalSilkRoad.Alongwithprovidingitsowndevelopmentexperienceinhardwareconnectivity,suchasthecreationoftheworld’sleadinghigh-qualitysmartgrid,itisalsohelpingBeltandRoadparticipatingcountriestobridgethedigitaldividethroughdigitalinfrastructureconstructionandthedigitalizationoftraditionalinfrastructure.Thesecooperationprojectsareextensiveandarewritinganewchapterinhistory.Intermsofsoftwareconnectivity,ChinahascarriedoutsubstantialcooperationwithBeltandRoadparticipantsindigitaltradeande-commerce,amongotherthings.Futurecooperationwillbefurtherstrengthenedthroughdigitalethical,culturalandeducationalexchanges.Inthenextfiveyears,Chinawillsupport5,000Chineseandforeigninnovativepersonneltocarryoutexchanges,trainingandcooperativeresearchinthissector.Inadditiontostrengtheningtheconnectionbetweendigitalandsocialinfrastructure,andpromotingsustainableinnovationandthedevelopmentofnewtechnologies,increasingtheexchangeandcultivationoftalentwillbeafocus.JointinnovationTheriseofdigitalChinahasattractedglobalattention,andChinaisalsowillingtosharenewexperiencesandmodelsinitsdigitaleconomydevelopmentandhelptocultivateparticipatingcountries’ownnewdigitalenergy.OnApril25,attheDigitalSilkRoadSub-ForumoftheSecondBeltandRoadForumforInternationalCooperation,15enterprisesfromeightcountriessignedeightnewcooperationprojects.Chinaisalsowillingtoshareitsexperienceininnovation-drivendevelopment,promotionofthedigitaleconomyandtheconstructionofartificialintelligenceandsmartcitiesinordertonarrowtheglobaldigitaldivide.ThedigitalSilkRoadisalsoaroadofintellectualpropertyrights(IPR)protection.ChinaattachesgreatimportancetotheIPRprotectionofBeltandRoadparticipatingcountriesandjointlypromotesthedevelopmentoflocalizedinnovationcapability.Inrecentyears,theChinaNationalIntellectualPropertyAdministration(CNIPA)hasheldseveralhigh-levelmeetingsonBeltandRoadIPRprotectionandestablishedanonlinecommunicationmechanismwithBeltandRoadparticipants.TheinitiativeiscommittedtoimprovingtheglobalIPRprotectionsystem.China’slocalgovernmentsarealsotakingvariousmeasurestofurtherstrengthentheIPRprotectionsystemandrelatedBeltandRoadwork.Forexample,theLanzhouIntellectualPropertyTribunalwasformallyestablishedinJanuaryinnorthwestChina’sGansuProvincetoactivelypromotetheconstructionoftheInternationalIntellectualPropertyPortoftheSilkRoad.OtherprovincesinChinaareconductingsimilarIPRprotectionconstructionbasedontheirlocallawsandregulations.AccordingtodatapublishedbytheCNIPA,thenumberofpatentsamongBeltandRoadparticipantshascontinuedtogrow.Attheendofthefirsthalfof2018,thenumberofpatentapplicationsbyChinainBeltandRoadparticipatingcountrieswas2,759,anincreaseof26.9percentoverthesameperiodthepreviousyear,whiletherewere2,681patentapplicationsinChinasubmittedbyBeltandRoadparticipants,anincreaseof31.6percentovertheprioryear.GoingforwardAtpresent,thedevelopmentofthedigitalSilkRoadisfacingsomechallenges:themassiveglobaldigitaldivideandincreasedinstabilityintheinternationalorderthatareaffectingparticipatingcountries.Followingarefoursuggestionstoaddresstheseissues.First,thegapindigitaldevelopmentamongBeltandRoadparticipantsmustbefurthernarrowed.DatafromtheBeltandRoadInformationDevelopmentIndexshowedthattheinformationdevelopmentofrelevantcountriesisgenerallyatthemid-level.ResultsshowedthattheoveralllevelofinformationdevelopmentincentralandeasternEuropeancountriesisrelativelyhigh;thedevelopmentgapamong20countriesinWestAsiaandNorthAfricaisrelativelylarge;andthereisstillalotofroomforinformationdevelopmentamongSouthAsiancountries.ThedigitaldividehasbecomeaprominentmanifestationoftheglobalNorth-Southimbalance.ThereisahugedemandforinformationinfrastructureconstructionthroughoutBeltandRoadparticipatingcountries.Thus,ChinaishopingthatmorecountrieswillparticipateintheconstructionofthedigitalSilkRoadtopromotethegovernanceofthedigitaleconomy,cultivateadigitaleconomyecology,buildadigitaleconomycooperationplatformandbuildadigitaleconomysupportsystem.Second,BeltandRoadparticipatingcountriesshouldestablishaproductcertificationsystemforthedigitalSilkRoad.Currently,morethan150countriesandinternationalorganizationshavesignedBeltandRoadcooperationdocuments,withthenumberboundtoincrease.BeltandRoadrelatedconceptshavealsobeenwidelyacceptedandrecognized.AdigitalSilkRoadproductcertificationsystemwouldbehelpfulfortraderelationsamongBeltandRoadparticipants.Third,participantsshouldspeeduptheintegrationof5Gtechnologies,theInternetofThings(IoT),IPRprotectionandtechnicalstandards.Thedevelopmentandpromotionofthetechnologymarketarecloselyrelatedtothelimitationofpatenttechnology.IoTpatentdistributionisverydispersed,whilethetop-levelpatentapplicantinthissectoraccountsforabout5percentofthetotalnumberofpatents.China’sHuaweiTechnologiesCo.Ltd.hasconsistentlyrankedamongthetopintheworldintermsofIoTpatentsforseveralconsecutiveyears.ItsmassiveamountoftechnologypatentsprovidesfavorableconditionsforChinatoentertheIoTmarketandimplementdigitalization.Fourth,BeltandRoadparticipantsshouldjointlylaunchtheDigitalSilkRoadInitiative.SincetheBeltandRoadInitiativewaslaunchedoversixyearsago,ithasexceededallexpectations,andthus,Chinahas