The 4th Hongqiao International Economic Forum, an important event of the 4th China International Import Expo, recently announced 10 provisional topics that it will delve into.

With the theme "World Economy amidst Profound Changes: Global Economic Cooperation in Post-pandemic Era", the forum will focus on worldwide opening-up and innovation-driven development, as well as on the opportunities and challenges the global economy is currently facing.

With the pandemic still raging across the world, public health is high on every country's agenda. As such, the forum will discuss how different countries can take coordinated actions to curb the spread of infectious diseases and protect public health.

At present, the global economy is steadily recovering from the pandemic due to the massive rollout of vaccines and stimulative policies. In light of this, the forum will touch on how multilateralism, as well as the liberalization and facilitation of investment and trade, will play a crucial role in accelerating the recovery process in the post-pandemic era.

New generation information technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum information science, mobile communication, internet of things, and blockchain, as well as their applications and impacts will take the spotlight at the forum.

Experts from the political, academic, and business sectors will exchange their views on issues such as smart manufacturing and digital economy, and discuss how global cooperation efforts are indispensable to ensuring the free flow of goods, services, and technologies in the digital era.

Environment protection, one of the most pressing global issues, poses both opportunities and threats to the world economy, while green development is an effective and sustainable solution. For this reason, guests at the forum will explore ways of boosting international trade in an environmentally friendly manner, and by making use of green finance.

Topics such as the supply and trade of agricultural products, protection of intellectual property rights and improvement of business environment, as well as China's new consumption trend against the backdrop of the country's dual circulation development pattern, will also be explored at the forum.

In addition, as regional economic integration deepens, the opening-up of the financial industry and regional cooperation in this respect will be discussed.

By Zhao Luyang