Led by Zhang Qingli, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a team from the China Economic and Social Council (CESC), of which Zhang is the chairman, surveyed the progress in building the digital Silk Road in Shenzhen, a metropolis in South China's Guangdong province, from July 23 to 25.

Noting that the digital Silk Road is a key part of China's Belt and Road Initiative at a symposium held during the survey, Zhang called for greater cooperation among countries covered by the initiative in building cyber infrastructure and developing the digital economy.

He stressed the need to convert the idea of a digital Silk Road into action, calling for top-level design, a shared standard system, faster development of cross-border e-commerce, a greater role for enterprises in the digital industry, and local innovation.

During the survey, the team visited a number of Shenzhen-based high-tech enterprises such as the telecom giant Huawei, the drone maker DJI and the internet giant Tencent.