China used the ongoing 2026 Wuzhen Summit to pledge that it will pursue innovation through openness, promote technology transfer and knowledge sharing, and oppose the creation of a “digital iron curtain.”
2026 · Wuzhen Summit
China pledges open innovation and rejects a "digital iron curtain"
At the summit, China committed to innovation through openness, technology transfer and knowledge sharing, positioning its technology strategy against the fragmentation of the global digital economy into closed blocs.
Three public commitments
The pledge rests on three linked ideas that together frame China as part of a shared global technology ecosystem.
01
Open innovation
Innovation should move across borders rather than be walled off.
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02
Technology transfer
Technology moves between partners rather than staying within one bloc.
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03
Knowledge sharing
Research and know-how are shared to support a common ecosystem.
Stated vs. still unclear
The pledge is clear in direction. The mechanisms that would give it practical effect have not yet been detailed.
What has been stated
A public commitment to openness at a high-profile international gathering
Opposition to a "digital iron curtain" and to blocs with limited access to tools and research
A framing that links China's technology strategy to cooperation
What remains open
No detailed action plan or timetable
No list of specific agreements tied to the pledges
Unclear effect on export controls, chip and software limits, or data-flow rules
Bottom line
For now, this is a high-level statement of intent, not a set of measurable commitments.
Watch: whether the summit yields concrete cooperation mechanisms.
Watch: how other governments and companies respond.
Watch: whether policy or market access actually changes.
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