Visitors check out the large language model for network operation from Cisco at its exhibition area during the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 29. CHINA DAILY
China's strong industrial base, rapid technology adoption and growing demand for artificial intelligence applications are creating fresh opportunities for global technology companies, as the country moves from building AI capabilities to applying them at scale across real-economy sectors, a senior executive said.
Ben Dawson, president of Cisco Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China, said in an exclusive interview with China Daily during the 2026 Summer Davos last month that the country's long-term appeal lies not only in the scale of its market, but also in its ability to turn technological ambition into large-scale industrial application.
"I think China's ambition in AI innovation is really strong," Dawson said on the sidelines of the forum, also known as the World Economic Forum's 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, in Dalian, Liaoning province, from June 23-25. "The theme of this forum is very fitting for China — innovating at scale."
His remarks came as China moves faster to create new forms of the smart economy. This year's Government Work Report called for advancing and expanding the AI Plus initiative, promoting the faster application of new-generation intelligent terminals and AI agents, and encouraging large-scale commercial application of AI in key sectors and fields.
