With the theme of "Smart city, wonderful life", the TM Forum Smart City InFocus 2016 is scheduled to be held in Yinchuan, capital of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region from Sep 7 through 9.

Government officials, leading entrepreneurs, scholars and experts from 66 countries and regions around the world will attend this forum. They will discuss the current situation and future of smart cities' development, around topics of top-level design, business mode, management mode, construction criteria and safety standards and legislation.

By hosting the annual event, "we will share the achievements of smart city construction, explore its development trends and inspire innovation to promote sustainable development and make life more wonderful", said Xu Guangguo, Party chief of Yinchuan.

Bai Shangcheng, mayor of Yinchuan, said the forum is a great chance for the world to share experiences and push forward smart city development.

"Yinchuan's achievements in building a smart city not only benefit citizens, but also stimulate new economy," Bai said, adding that Yinchuan could show the world its results in building smart city through this opportunity, and embrace the new era of internet, big data and smart cities.

Since 2012, 290 cities and counties in China have been listed in a pilot project o build smart cities. More than 500 cities have started building smart cities so far.

Yinchuan was enrolled in the project in 2013. Cooperating with Chinese IT giant ZTE, the city became "a model of smart city with high standard and full function" after two years' efforts, said local officials.

It has developed its unique mode in using multiple information and communication technologies in government affairs, transportation and environmental protection, which is now studied and copied by Ethiopia, India, Belarus and other countries.

Ning Jiajun, a member of the Advisory Committee for State Informatization, said that globalization, urbanization and informatization are some of the new trends in the world and are also the direction of smart city development in the next stage.

"The reason for the success of the Yinchuan model is because it has made innovation in the administration system, technologies and the way all elements integrate." He said.

Ma Jie, director of Yinchuan bureau of industry and information technology, told Xinhua News Agency that "Yinchuan has made a reasonable plan in top-level design to help prevent problems of investment, sharing and management in building a smart city".

He said Yinchuan has used the public-private partnership mechanism along with the capital market to solve problems of investment and management.

Last year, the Yinchuan forum attracted delegates from 46 countries and regions.

(China Daily 09/07/2016 page10)