Inspur Group is actively involved in smart city building under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), boosting the digital economy with shared benefits, said Sun Pishu, chairman and CEO of the leading Chinese cloud computing and big data service provider on Thursday. 

The rapid growth and application of technologies such as cloud computing, big data and artificial intelligence are translating the smart city from concept to reality, Sun said at a thematic forum on the digital silk road during the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing. 

"Urbanization has fueled China's economic growth over the past two decades, and we have good reason to believe that smart city building will offer new impetus for the development of the country and beyond," he said. 

Informatization serves as a strong bond linking real and virtual economy, and data connectivity can facilitate the integration of resource advantages and key factors of production, thus helping narrow the wealth divide and achieve inclusive development, according to Inspur. 

Sun emphasized that the building of the digital silk road was a collaborative effort undertaken by the international business community, rather than a sole performance by Chinese enterprises. 

In November, 2017, Inspur, together with a group of global tech giants, including IBM, Cisco Systems Inc, Diebold Nixdorf and Ericsson AB, formed an alliance to provide IT solutions for smart city building in BRI economies. 

Sun explained that the alliance is focused on integrating cloud data centers and services in five main areas: smart urban management, taxation, the grain industry, finance and education. 

Meanwhile, Inspur is also exploring new business models and offering cloud services to Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan and many other BRI countries through a Shandong-based operation center launched last April. 

"We hope to work together with more partners to promote smart city building under the BRI and extend the benefits of the digital economy," Sun said.