China Internet Body Holds Global Training

The World Internet Conference Digital Academy (世界互联网大会数字研修院) held a training program on “Digital Economy Innovation and Development” during the 2025 World Internet Conference Digital Silk Road Development Forum on July 24, 2025. According to a state media readout, the program attracted government officials and business representatives from 26 countries and regions, focusing on data governance and cross-border data flows. Liang Hao (梁昊), the executive deputy secretary-general of the WIC and executive vice-dean of the WICDA, said the academy aims to “inject new vitality into digital development” and build an “open, trustworthy, and shared global digital economy ecosystem.” The training was jointly organized by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), China’s primary internet control body, and featured instructors from Beijing Normal University’s Belt and Road School (北京师范大学”一带一路”学院) and the Asia Academy of Digital Economics, though specific participating countries were not disclosed. The World Internet Conference (WIC) was founded in 2014 as an annual forum hosted by China in Wuzhen, promoting Beijing’s vision of internet governance and digital cooperation. The event, through which China has often tried to force joint declarations with participants to support its views on cyberspace governance, has had limited participation, despite its global branding.