ZGC Forum highlights AI applications, sci-tech governance

As part of the 2026 Zhongguancun (ZGC) Forum Annual Conference which is underway in Beijing, two parallel forums were held on Saturday to discuss the applications of AI, global sci-tech governance, and the establishment of robust legal frameworks to support the growth of AI technologies.

During the Sci-tech Governance under the Rule of Law Forum, typical cases of law-based governance in science and technology were released, showcasing practical achievements in Beijing's efforts to integrate technology with legal systems.

Tian Yuanhe, a researcher at the Beijing Zhongguancun Academy, highlighted the potential of AI to assist in the legislative process.

"If a certain law is to be implemented in the society, we can leverage AI through social simulation to help us better adjust the detailed rules of our legislation. What everyone is actually most concerned about is the credibility of the output from large models. For the future work, I hope everyone will strive toward this direction to jointly promote the development of trustworthy AI," said Tian.

Meanwhile, Forum on the Development of International Science and Technology Organizations and Global Science and Technology Governance facilitated in-depth discussions on innovating the global governance system, with experts emphasizing the need for a stable legal environment to foster continuous innovation.

Dai Xin, deputy dean of the Law School at Peking University, noted that the ultimate goal of governance is to balance development with stability.

"The governance is essentially about hoping that in the development process of artificial intelligence, innovation will not be interrupted, and socially beneficial innovations can continue to emerge. Everyone is seeking to land these advancements within a visible, tangible, and stable legal framework. The next goal is to establish specific regulatory frameworks and tools for issues related to the AI industry," said Dai.

The ongoing 2026 ZGC Forum, themed "Full Integration Between Technological and Industrial Innovation", has hosted 60 parallel forums covering hot-button issues from global sci-tech governance to basic research and cutting-edge technologies, with multiple sessions unveiling key industry outcomes.

The five-day forum, running from March 25 to 29, has brought together global industry experts, scholars and policymakers to exchange insights and share cutting-edge progress in the global tech and innovation sector.

ZGC Forum highlights AI applications, sci-tech governance

In the first half of this year, the vitality of business entities in China and the high-end development of the industrial structure have been further improved, delivering solid achievements in high-quality development, an official with the State Taxation Administration (STA) said on Tuesday.

Hu Jinglin, the STA commissioner, told a press conference that the number of tax-paying business entities has increased during the period. "Tax data showed that the vitality of business entities in China has further improved from January to June. The number of active tax-paying business entities that are operating normally in China rose 20.2 percent year on year and the number of tax declaration companies gained 10 percent year on year," said Hu.

Hu noted that high-tech and digital economy industries saw a surge in sales revenue during the same period.

"The high-end development of the industrial structure has been further advanced. The sales revenue of high-tech industries and core digital economy industries increased 15 percent and 8.7 percent year on year, respectively. And their share of the total enterprise sales revenue expanded 1.7 percentage points and 1.1 percentage points year on year, respectively. At the same time, the profits of high-tech manufacturing enterprises and digital product service enterprises surged 29.2 percent and 64.4 percent year on year, respectively," said the official.

China's foreign investment inflows and foreign trade exports continued to demonstrate strong resilience in the six months, Hu added.

"The stability of [China's] opening up to the world has been further enhanced. The number of foreign-funded tax-paying entities rose 10.9 percent year on year. The total profit declared by foreign-funded enterprises increased 4.5 percent year on year. The number of export tax rebates processed by the tax authorities for enterprises gained 7.7 percent year on year. These figures indicate that China's introduction of foreign investment and foreign trade exports continue to maintain strong resilience," he said.

China's business vitality further enhanced in H1