(Yicai Global) Oct. 4 -- China was re-elected yesterday as a council member of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations specialized agency.

Meanwhile, Cheng Jianjun, director of the China National Radio Monitoring Center, was elected as a new member of the ITU Radio Regulations Board for the next four years.

The 2022 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-22) opened in Bucharest on Sept. 26, and is scheduled to run until Oct. 14. In a policy speech at the conference on Sept. 27, head of the Chinese delegation and deputy minister of Industry and Information Technology Zhang Yunming said that China adheres to a people-centered development philosophy and actively promotes the development of the information and communication industry and infrastructure.

The coverage rate has been significantly improved, and industrial integration and innovation have continued to accelerate in the country, Zhang said. International cooperation in information and communication has also continued to deepen, he added.

China is willing to work with other countries to strengthen standard R&D and industrial cooperation in emerging technologies such as 5G, and promote the inclusive development of the global digital industry so that more people can enjoy the benefits of developing the digital economy.

On behalf of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China, Zhang signed a cooperation agreement with the ITU to use China's voluntary donations to promote cooperation in the implementation of global development initiatives, and to support developing countries to improve their ICT capabilities.

On the sidelines of the conference, Zhang met with the heads of the information and communication authorities of more than 40 countries, including Russia, France, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Pakistan, Thailand, the Philippines, and Argentina. He also met the United Nations technical envoy and the newly-elected ITU officials, and signed memorandums of understanding on bilateral cooperation in the field of information and communication with officials from South Africa and Malaysia.

Zhao Houlin, incumbent ITU Secretary-General, applauded China's re-election as an ITU council member, and the election of Cheng Jianjun as a new member of the Radio Regulations Committee. He emphasized that, as an ITU council member, China has always represented the interests of a vast number of developing countries, and has also been actively promoting the development of global information and communication industries, making significant contributions to the ITU.

Cheng said he was proud that a Chinese expert will return to the ITU Radio Regulations Committee, pointing out that this is a vote of confidence in China's wisdom from the ITU member states.

The Council of the International Telecommunication Union is composed of 48 members, and serves as the organization's governing body between sessions of the Plenipotentiary Conference. The Radio Regulations Board, comprised of 12 elected experts, is responsible for interpreting radio regulations, supplementing and improving regulatory procedures, and coordinating to solve problems such as radio frequency interference between member states.