On April 20, jointly held by the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Science and Technology, State Intellectual Property Office and Shanghai People's Government, the 5th China (Shanghai) International Technology Fair (hereinafter referred to as Shanghai Fair), solemnly opened in Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center. The theme of this Shanghai Fair is: Driving Development by Innovation, Protecting Intellectual Property and Promoting Technology Trade. Vice Minister of Commerce Fang Aiqing attended and addressed the opening ceremony of the forum.

Fang said that in today's world, science and technology has become the most active and revolutionary factor in promoting economic development. The level of scientific and technological development has become the core of national competitiveness. As a link between innovation and market, technology trade has received widespread attention and become an important driving force for economic recovery. The Chinese government profoundly implements innovation-driven development strategy, and actively promotes the "mass entrepreneurship and innovation." The vitality of technological innovation is released continuously and the technology trade development shows new features:

Firstly, technology input continues to increase and technology trade develops rapidly. A number of technology-intensive enterprises grow up quickly, and R & D investment of some enterprises has accounted for more than 10% of sales revenue, taking a leading position in the world; more than 90% patent technology of some enterprises is invention patent, covering all fields of emerging technology. Over the past 10 years, the annual growth rate of China's intellectual property royalties and license fees were as high as 19.2%.Secondly, information technology and high-end manufacturing technology trade grow rapidly and the structure is obviously optimized. From 2006 to 2016, technology exports of China's equipment manufacturing industry increased from US$ 390 million to US$ 5.76 billion, an increase of nearly 15 times. The exports of information transmission, computer services and software industry increased from US$ 20 million to US$ 6.36 billion, an increase of more than 300 times. The proportion increased from 2.6% to 27.1%.Thirdly, the new technological revolution is ascending, and the development of technology trade has broad prospects. With the rapid development of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, Internet of things, cloud computing, and block chains, global IP consumption and communications, computer and information services exports increased by 106.5% between 2005 and 2015.The annual increase was 6.8%, obviously higher than the export of services and goods. In 2016, China's service trade volume related with technology amounted to US$87.54 billion, accounting for more than one-third of the emerging trade in services. Fourthly, technical trade accelerates the structural reform of supply side and the role of promoting innovation, maintaining growth, adjusting structure and benefiting people's livelihood was more prominent. Technology trade has promoted the development of new industries and the emergence of emerging formats, improving the economic vitality. Through digestion and absorption after the introduction of technology and then innovation, strategic emerging industries such as energy saving and environmental protection industry, a new generation of information technology, high-end equipment manufacturing achieve leapfrog development. A number of key technology research and development achieved breakthrough. China has entered the advanced international ranks in high-end equipment manufacturing fields such as communication equipment, high-speed rail, aviation, ship and hydropower stations.

Fang pointed out that the current world economic recovery is slow and the transformation of the old and new growth momentum still goes on. In order to enhance the middle-and-long-term growth potential of the world economy, we must grasp the historical opportunity of scientific and technological revolution and the digital economy to seek power from innovation and to seek vitality from reform. China will further enable the market to play a decisive role in the allocation of resources, better play the role of the government, actively create a development environment, strive to improve promotion system, actively perfect public service system, constantly deepen foreign cooperation and promote technological development to achieve new development.

The opening forum was presided over by the Vice Mayor of Shanghai Xu Kunlin. Mayor of Shanghai Ying Yong and Vice Minister of Science and Technology Li Mengye attended and addressed the opening ceremony. Netherlands Matin Van der Laan and other people delivered keynote speeches.

The total area of this Shanghai fair is 35,000 square meters and five exhibition areas are set up according to four functions such as "technical display", "project docking", "trading services" and "forum activities." At the same time, Netherlands is invited as the guest of honor, Espoo Finland (sister city of Shanghai) as the foreign guest of honor, and Shenzhen as the domestic host city. The theme museum "capital of makers" is set up. Efforts are made to further promote economic and trade reciprocity and technology trade between China and foreign countries by mechanism such as exhibition demonstrations, forum activities, high-level visits, etc.