Denmark pioneers "TechPlomacy" by sending a Tech Ambassador to its Beijing Embassy.
Denmark is the first country in the world to elevate technology's status to a foreign policy priority by establishing a diplomatic platform and presence to promote this agenda across the globe.
The initiative is based on the recognition of the key role technology and digitalization plays and will increasingly play in the future for individuals and societies alike from China to Denmark and the rest of the world.
"It's interesting to see how China's tech industry has grown into being among the most advanced in areas of artificial intelligence, machine learning and cloud-computing. The resources and the willingness from the Chinese Government to drive and push this development together with the big tech companies is very significant, said Denmark's Tech Ambassador Casper Klynge.
"In that light, it's only a natural step for the Danish Government to expand our technological diplomacy – or our so-called Tech Plomacy Initiative - to China," said the Ambassador, who will be in China next week to officially open the Beijing leg of the Tech Ambassador's Office at the Royal Danish Embassy in Beijing.
Once established, the Tech Ambassador's Office will have a physical presence in three time zones across the globe, in Denmark's capital Copenhagen, Silicon Valley in the United States, and in China's capital Beijing.
Tech Ambassador Casper Klynge and his global team will work to build strategic partnerships and engage directly with tech-hubs, governments, international organizations, civil society, cities, regions, world-class universities and other stakeholders.
"I really look forward to engaging in dialogue on a broad range of topics with the tech-industry and Chinese authorities. We need a stronger multi-stakeholder discussion on how we want these new technologies to shape our societies in the future. And with a stronger dialogue we will be better equipped to meet both the opportunities and challenges which new technologies create," said Ambassador Klynge.
The Office of the Danish Tech Ambassador is located at the Royal Danish Embassy in Beijing. "We warmly welcome our new Tech colleagues as an integrated part of our efforts to promote Danish interests in China and to further strengthen the multi-facetted cooperation between our two countries," said the Ambassador of Denmark to China, A. Carsten Damsgaard.
