Chinese telecom firms urge more cooperation

Artificial intelligence, or AI, applications across devices and networks, advances in 5G and 6G technologies, and the way they have been rapidly reshaping the telecommunications industry have been among the major topics at this year's Mobile World Congress, or MWC, in Barcelona, Spain.

Chinese companies have showcased their latest achievements at the event, organized panel discussions, and said they are expecting to boost cooperation in the mobile communications industry.

Huawei hosted a number of industry partners and opinion leaders for a roundtable discussion on Monday of the acceleration of industrial intelligence to promote sustainable development.

The roundtable session, co-hosted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, or UNIDO, was under a global initiative co-launched by UNIDO, Huawei and other partners to foster the use of AI in industries and manufacturing.

The discussion revolved around the role of 5G-Advanced technologies and AI in helping address global challenges, including climate change.

Yu Liang, vice-president of Huawei Cloud Global Ecosystem for the Europe, Middle East, and Middle Asia region, shared how the company has collaborated with stakeholders to further sustainability.

Among achievements, Huawei Cloud's Pangu-Weather Model, an AI model for global weather forecasting, was adopted in 2023 by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. The model, Yu said, has achieved more precision, with faster prediction speeds, which can help reduce the disruptive impacts of natural disasters, such as typhoons.

In the UK, in collaboration with local institutions and international NGOs, Huawei's AI technologies have been deployed to help experts assess and monitor the population of the red squirrel, an endangered species in the country.

"All these benefits can be achieved not only by Huawei technologies but also by a very enriched ecosystem of the whole world. That is why we worked with our partners to develop well-connected solutions for our industries," Yu said.

Also on Monday, China Mobile held a series of launches, particularly highlighting its latest innovations in 5G-Advanced technologies. The company is also working hard to explore key technologies and application scenarios for 6G.Huang Yuhong, general manager of the China Mobile Research Institute, said China Mobile is willing to share its experiences with the world and emphasized that the development of the telecommunications industry requires collective thinking and close cooperation from all parties.

"For example, when it comes to 5G-Advanced or 6G standardization, without unified global standards, large-scale production cannot be achieved, and industries cannot gain cost advantages," she said.

"Therefore, we are willing to share with the world, as we understand that our openness can promote cooperation in this era, thus bringing everyone together."

Thorsten Jelinek, a senior fellow and Europe director at Beijing-based think tank Taihe Institute, said dialogue mechanisms also need to be encouraged, noting that countries are more concerned now with digital security issues.

The positive news is that there are some collaborative activities on the table, especially between China and the European Union, which could enhance trust and identify areas of collaboration, Jelinek said.

"I saw some changes in 2023 and maybe going forward in 2024. The EU has a lot of dialogue with China. There are some high-level meetings around ICT, data and science," he said.

Ashraf Abushady, a senior adviser on digital transformation and AI at UNIDO, said that promoting multilateralism is an approach to foster communications and exchanges. He suggested that governments, academics, and businesses should all be included in the dialogue.

"At the end, we all have to sit together," he said.

John Hoffman, CEO and director of GSMA Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the GSMA, organizer of the MWC, also said collaboration is crucial.

"The only way we can be successful is to have public-private partnerships and global collaboration. So, East and West, North and South, we have to collaborate, and we will," he said.