Viewing China’s Science and Technology Diplomacy through Huawei Mate70:Innovation Paving the Way for a Shared Future

Huawei, China’s leading smartphone manufacturer, unveiled its latest Mate70 series on November 26. Both the software and hardware of these new devices have undergone significant upgrades. On the software front, the Mate70 series features Huawei’s cutting-edge operating system, HarmonyOS Next, marking a substantial leap forward in China’s core software technology capabilities. As for the hardware, the series is powered by the advanced Kirin 9020 chip. Additionally, the Mate70 are the world’s first smartphones to support satellite paging, providing users with unprecedented communication reliability.

However, Huawei’s access to these groundbreaking technologies is not exclusive. As a pioneer in China’s tech industry, Huawei has long been a strong advocate for international scientific and technological collaboration, actively promoting the joint development and sharing of global technological advancements. During the product launch event, several experts voiced their commitment to fostering an open and equitable global market, encouraging the sharing and advancement of technology. To stimulate developers’ enthusiasm for building the HarmonyOS ecosystem, Huawei has not only pledged extensive resource support, but also introduced a series of incentives aimed at attracting global innovators to collectively shape a visionary future.

Technology transcends borders, and Huawei’s commitment to openness reflects China’s growing international network of technological cooperation. Since the 1980s’ reform and opening-up, China has forged science and technology partnerships with over 160 countries and regions, signing 118 bilateral and multilateral governmental agreements for scientific and technological cooperation. On June 24, 2024, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized at the National Science and Technology Conference that China adheres to the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind and advocates for open cooperation in science and technology. He highlighted that scientific and technological progress is a global and contemporary challenge, and that only through open collaboration can we move forward.

Guided by President Xi’s vision for scientific and technological cooperation, the 8th Scientific and Technological Diplomats’ Innovation Resource Docking Event was held in Beijing on November 20, 2024. The event’s theme was “Open Cooperation and Innovative Development”. Technology diplomats from over 30 countries across five continents gathered in Beijing to discuss international scientific and technological collaboration and to negotiate technological innovation initiatives. During the event, Zhuang Jia, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Science and Technology, emphasized that the Chinese government places great importance on international scientific and technological cooperation and aims to promote the development of an open and mutually beneficial global innovation ecosystem by actively engaging in international exchanges and partnerships.

At present, China has formed all-round and in-depth international scientific and technological cooperation. In terms of cooperation mechanisms, China has launched several key initiatives, including the “Belt and Road” scientific and technological innovation action plan, the BRICS framework for scientific and technological innovation, and scientific cooperation mechanisms with ASEAN and Central and Eastern European countries. In terms of fields of cooperation, Sino-foreign collaborations are advancing innovations in areas such as deep space exploration, climate change, biomedicine, artificial intelligence, new energy, and new materials. In terms of governance, China advocates the development of an open, fair, just, and non-discriminatory science and technology governance system, while opposing protectionism and the hegemony of science and technology. At the same time, China supports the central role of the United Nations and other international organizations in the field of science and technology, striving to establish a more just and equitable global system of rules and standards, and promoting the widespread benefits of scientific and technological advancements for all of humanity.