The China Development Forum 2021 will be held online and offline at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing from March 20 to 22. The theme of this year's forum is "China on a New Journey to Modernization". Global business leaders, heads of international organizations, Chinese and foreign scholars, as well as Chinese government officials and entrepreneurs gathered at the forum, with 165 overseas delegates, the largest number ever.
The China Development Forum 2021 will be held online and offline at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing from March 20 to 22. The theme of this year's forum is "China on a New Journey to Modernization". Global business leaders, heads of international organizations, Chinese and foreign scholars, as well as Chinese government officials and entrepreneurs gathered at the forum, with 165 overseas delegates, the largest number ever.
China Development Forum 2021
He also recorded a video titled "My 2020" for the forum, sharing his feelings and findings on the past year, as well as his views on the future development trend of the world and China. Dr. Gu Chunyuan, Chairman of ABB China, was invited to attend the event as an observer.
"Dialogue with the world for Common Development" has always been the purpose of the China Development Forum. ABB has been actively participating in the China Development Forum since 2013. Senior leaders of the Group attended the forum and offered suggestions on sustainable development, industrial upgrading, innovation, urbanization and the Belt and Road based on ABB's leading technology, industry expertise and customer cooperation experience.
The year 2021 is the first year of China's 14th Five-Year Plan, and China is in a period of important strategic opportunities. In this context, this year's forum focused on promoting high-quality development and building a new development pattern, focusing on economic and social development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, expanding high-level opening up, and promoting comprehensive green economic and social transformation.
In the remarkable year of 2020, the Chinese economy not only achieved a sound recovery, but also made a major contribution to world economic development. As a global company, ABB employs around 15,000 people in nearly 130 cities in China. China was one of ABB's best performing markets in 2020, delivering solid results while ensuring the safety of employees, supporting customers and partners to ensure the safe operation of critical infrastructure, and connecting with customers through advanced digital solutions.
China is speeding up the construction of new infrastructure, including 5G networks, data centers and electric vehicles, and vigorously developing high-tech industries such as artificial intelligence, showing remarkable foresight. ABB's business direction is highly aligned with China's efforts to promote new technologies, focusing on the application of artificial intelligence and digital technologies in equipment, robotics, power grids, transportation systems and infrastructure. China is the world's largest industrial robot market, ABB invested 1 billion yuan in the new Shanghai robot factory under construction, after completion will become ABB's world's most advanced technology, automation and flexibility of the highest degree of robot factory, support the development of China's high-end manufacturing industry.
China is also an important research and development base for ABB, where we develop innovative solutions for local and global markets. The digital transformation of the industry brings new growth opportunities, especially in the areas of smart manufacturing and electric mobility on roads, rails and at sea. In 2020, the number of patent applications filed by ABB's research and development team in China increased by 11% year-on-year. At the end of last year, ABB established the China Technology Center of its Process Automation division in Hangzhou to further enhance local R&D capabilities and better serve the Chinese market.
Carbon peaking and carbon neutrality is also one of the topics that the Forum will pay close attention to. As the world's largest energy producer and consumer, China is taking stronger policy measures to peak its carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2060. ABB is committed to expanding the boundaries of technology, transforming society and industry to achieve a more efficient and sustainable future, and supporting China to accelerate green development and build a low-carbon society to jointly address the world's energy challenges.
By developing and promoting energy efficient products, technologies and solutions, ABB supports Chinese customers to improve energy efficiency and reduce their environmental impact. At the same time, we will actively promote our own green development and build a benchmark enterprise for sustainable development. In 2020, Beijing ABB Low Voltage Electric Appliance Co., Ltd. and Beijing ABB Electric Drive System Co., Ltd. were both selected as national "Green Factories" by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China. Last week, the photovoltaic power generation and system integration project of Beijing ABB Low Voltage Electric Appliance Co., Ltd. was connected to the grid, further promoting carbon reduction and emission reduction, implementing the mission of carbon neutrality of the enterprise, and supporting China's grand vision of achieving carbon neutrality.
