Prof. Tan Poh Hwee: Turning international exchanges into practical outcomes for e-commerce

In an interview at the 2026 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit, Prof. Tan Poh Hwee, president of Asia Academy of Digital Economics, shares his perspectives on this year's theme — "Open Source and Openness, Joint Contribution and Shared Benefits — Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace" — and its significance for the development of e-commerce.

He explains how open source can make technology more accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and how openness can help improve connectivity in payments, cross-border logistics and electronic credentials.

He also outlines three areas for translating international exchanges into practical outcomes: Strengthening research on market access and facilitating market entry across countries; promoting connectivity and cooperation in payments, cross-border logistics and the mutual recognition of electronic credentials to reduce trade frictions; and providing more training opportunities for developing countries and SMEs to help them adapt to the development of e-commerce in the age of artificial intelligence.