(June 23, 2026, Room D)

Mr. Chairperson,

Excellencies,

Distinguished experts, colleagues,

Good morning. It is a pleasure to attend the ITA Committee’s thematic session. China is delighted to co-sponsor this thematic session with Thailand.

I echo Ambassador Pimchanok in extending my appreciation to all Members for your support. A warm welcome goes to our distinguished panel of experts from academia, the private sector, and international organizations who have gathered here to share your insights. I also want to express my deep gratitude to the Secretariat for their exceptional dedication in making this session possible.

We are currently at a moment when the global economy is being fundamentally reshaped by Artificial Intelligence (AI). According to the WTO World Trade Report 2025, the deployment of AI technology is projected to increase the value of global trade by up to 37 percent by 2040, while expanding global GDP by up to 13 percent over the next 15 years. This massive expansion will be driven by improvements in productivity and the power of AI to significantly lower cross-border trade costs.

However, AI is inextricably linked to international trade and physical ICT hardware. It cannot function without powerful semiconductors, high-performance servers, routers, and high-speed fiber-optic networks.

This is where the ITA plays an indispensable role. Over the past three decades, the ITA framework has eliminated tariffs on the essential building blocks of the digital age. Global trade in ICT goods has grown exponentially under this framework, which has dramatically lowered the cost of technology deployment worldwide.

However, as we look to the future, we must honestly confront the severe challenges facing global tech trade. For example, at the 30th Meeting of the World Semiconductor Council in Geneva, a resounding message emerged: global hardware supply chains are facing unprecedented strains from rising protectionism, unilateral export controls, and geopolitical fragmentation.

We see the risk that the disruption of AI-enabling products is transforming the existing "digital divide" into an "AI divide." The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) continuously warns that billions of people, particularly in developing economies, still lack access to basic broadband connectivity, let alone AI-capable computing infrastructure.

To empower economic growth and social development with AI, firstly, we must collectively champion open, transparent, and non-discriminatory trade policies for AI-enabling products to secure stable, predictable global supply chains and flows of trade. Building on these policy foundations, we should encourage the ITA Committee to study and deliberate on emerging AI-enabling products, ensuring the ITA framework adapts to new technological paradigms. Crucially, we must also encourage more Members to join this vital agreement. In this regard, China warmly welcomes Vietnam's recent application to join the ITA Expansion, which reflects the relevance of this Committee's work. Furthermore, we must strengthen technical assistance and capacity building so that developing and LDC Members can better understand the accessibility of the computing hardware necessary to develop their own localized AI capacities.

Domestically, China has placed emphasis on the strategic role of AI, striving to strike a careful balance between rapid technological innovation and responsible governance. A key pillar of our national strategy is the "AI Plus" Initiative, to drive deep integration of AI across manufacturing, healthcare, and public services, while establishing regulatory guardrails to protect safety and fairness.

At the same time, we firmly believe that AI cannot—and should not—be developed behind closed doors. China stands ready to work hand-in-hand with all partners to build an open-source, open-platform, and highly inclusive global AI ecosystem. The WTO and ITA Committee should play their roles for the benefit of Members. Together, we can ensure that this technological revolution delivers on development through "AI for people, and AI for good."

Thank you, and I look forward to a highly productive and stimulating discussion today.