ZGC Forum draws global minds to explore future industries

The ongoing 2026 Zhongguancun (ZGC) Forum serves as a key platform for showcasing cutting-edge technologies, allowing ideas to collide, releasing policies, and promoting international exchanges and cooperation.

Alongside the main agenda, some 60 parallel forums are being held during the five-day period, focusing on frontier topics such as controllable nuclear fusion, artificial intelligence, brain-computer interfaces, embodied intelligence, and other future industries. With nearly 30 international organizations involved, the exchange of ideas and technologies across disciplines has served to inspire many attendees.

During a break, Alain Becoulet, head of engineering at the International Fusion Energy Organization (ITER) was seen interacting with a robot. He noted that such technologies could play an important role in advancing fusion energy, where remote operation is essential due to the extreme environment.

"I feel it's very nice and very innovation-oriented for sure. And maybe fusion, I'm very interested because fusion is a sort of sponge to innovation and high technologies. I saw robots, I saw AI and so on, all these we need. It's not fancy. We need this to progress, because fusion is a very hostile environment. When it works, mankind cannot access. So we are also developing all the robots, remote handling capacities for us to operate, contain this kind of facilities," said the scientist.

A UK-based policy analyst said the forum has highlighted potential areas for China-UK cooperation.

"I have been paying close attention to quantum computing recently, because I think it is a field where our two countries could have potential cooperation in the future. We have reached a stage where many foreign companies are setting up research and development centers in China and then exporting their yielding to other countries, including their home markets," said Li Muxuan, an analyst from the China-Britain Business Council.

Meanwhile, Thomas Rooch, executive director operations of Asian markets at Viking Cruises, said many of the technologies on display could be applied in the cruise industry to enhance both operations and passenger experience.

"I work in shipbuilding, both ocean and river cruise ships. Nowadays, ships incorporate many new technologies, whether in customer services or environmental performance. So, I am very interested in these technologies," said Rooch.

From high-level discussions to technology showcases, the strong presence of international participants at the forum underscores the growing global impact of China's innovation landscape.

Founded in 2007 with the permanent theme "Innovation and Development," the ZGC Forum has grown into a global, open, and high-level platform for advancing global science and technology innovation.

The 2026 ZGC Forum Annual Conference runs from March 25 to 29, drawing thousands of participants from more than 100 countries and regions.

ZGC Forum draws global minds to explore future industries

Pakistan's sense of global responsibility and concern over the impact of the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel on the world order compel it to mediate between the warring parties, Javed Iqbal, president of the Pakistani National Institute of Maritime Affairs, said on Friday.

Pakistan is a key stakeholder in maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, and because conflicts in one region can ripple across the world, the country sees mediation as essential to safeguarding its interests and promoting broader regional stability, Iqbal, who is also a senior defense analyst, told the China Global Television Network (CGTN).

"We are a part of not only the global community of nations, but also part of Global South. We are sitting at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz. We are an important stakeholder in ensuring maritime security in the region, because it's an interconnected world. If there is a threat, it affects everybody. And we have witnessed in the last four weeks that how the oil prices, gas prices have impacted the entire world. The food security crisis is brewing. Prices of the commodities are going up. So Pakistan had to play this role, not only for its own interest, but also in the interest of the global community," he said.

Iqbal also noted that Pakistan is committed to not only ending the conflict, but also addressing its broader consequences, as the Middle East conflict continues to reshape the global order.

"And I think as a responsible nation, we are not only looking at the war termination, but we are also looking at the second order and the third order effects, the post war also, because it's a major, cataclysmic event. I think it will transform the world order. It will reset the global balance of power. It will reset the security order in the Middle East. So it's a very, very important event. And being a critical stakeholder, in the interest of the global security, global peace, and development, Pakistan is playing its due role and acting as a conveyor of the messages between the United States and Iran," he said.

Pakistan has been relaying messages between Iran and the United States, helping bring an end to the conflict. The country will host a quadrilateral meeting of foreign ministers including Türkiye, Egypt and Saudi Arabia on Monday to discuss tensions in the Middle East, according to Pakistan's state media.

Pakistan affirms responsibility to mediate as Middle East conflict reshapes global order: analyst