The 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Digital Economy Forum is scheduled to take place in Tianjin, China from July 10 to 11, aiming to deepen multilateral cooperation across emerging digital sectors among SCO member states. Organized jointly by China’s National Data Administration and the Tianjin municipal government, the forum is expected to host over 600 participants from both domestic and international institutions.
With the theme “New Bonds in the Digital Economy, New Horizons for Cooperation,” the event is designed to foster dialogue and expand development opportunities within the SCO framework. Core topics on the agenda include data circulation and trade, industrial digitalization, digital infrastructure advancement, artificial intelligence applications, smart city integration, and the cultivation of digital talent—areas of shared focus for the member countries.
Yu Ying, deputy director of the National Data Administration, spoke at a pre-event press conference and highlighted China’s emphasis on building international partnerships in digital domains. She noted that since the NDA’s inception in October 2023, China has signed memorandums of understanding with 26 countries to enhance digital economy collaboration. These countries include Russia, Brazil, Hungary, Nigeria, and Malaysia, reflecting a wide geographic reach and a growing interest in digital connectivity across diverse economies.
Yu added that China’s progress in digital transformation has shown tangible results, with the added value of core digital industries accounting for approximately 10 percent of the country’s GDP by the end of 2024. The upcoming forum will therefore serve as a platform for sharing insights on these developments and learning from partner nations working toward similar goals.
The forum in Tianjin is expected to contribute to strengthening the institutional and technical frameworks needed to support cross-border digital trade and innovation among SCO members. As the organization continues to emphasize economic and technological integration, this forum reflects an ongoing effort to balance digital growth with inclusive access and shared benefits across the region.
The event’s structure includes sessions dedicated to emerging trends in AI deployment, smart urban systems, and scalable infrastructure planning. Experts, government representatives, and industry leaders from SCO countries will present research, explore policy approaches, and identify joint initiatives to further digital development.
By convening regional stakeholders under one platform, the forum aims to build new mechanisms for digital economic exchange while reinforcing the role of SCO in enabling cooperative digital policy frameworks and innovation-driven economic development.
