A training program on digital economy cooperation for Belt and Road countries recently brought 28 government officials and industry experts to Xi'an. Organized by the MOFCOM Training Base for International Business Officials (Shanghai) of Shanghai Business School, the program took the delegation to the National Supercomputing Center in Xi'an for a site visit. Lei Tingqing, Director of the Shaanxi Provincial International Cultural and Economic Exchange Center, and Wu Jun, Professor at the School of Business and Economics of Shanghai Business School, attended the event.

At the National Supercomputing Center in Xi'an, the participants focused on the "Qinling" supercomputer, often known as the "digital brain". The visit offered a systematic overview of the center's core infrastructure, including its large-scale server arrays and high-efficiency liquid cooling systems. The participants engaged in in-depth discussions with the center's technical staff on processor microarchitecture, heterogeneous computing acceleration, and immersion liquid cooling technology. They also spoke highly of the center's engineering practices in achieving full-stack independent control and supporting China's major strategic initiatives.

During the visit, the participants gained insight into key application scenarios powered by the "Qinling" supercomputer, including high-precision aerodynamic simulations for China's domestically developed large aircraft and genomic sequencing data analysis for new drug development. Through these examples, they came to recognize that advanced computing power has emerged as a new form of foundational productivity, alongside thermal and electrical energy as drivers of economic and social development. Mr. Bakhtovar, who serves as a Director at Tajikistan's Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, shared his reflections on the experience. He noted that the center's independently controlled computing infrastructure, mature software ecosystem, and collaborative innovation mechanisms tailored to industrial needs offer a practical model for developing countries seeking to coordinate their industrialization and digital transformation.

The 14-day program brought together participants from nine countries: Egypt, Fiji, Grenada, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Zambia. The immersive visit not only deepened their understanding of high-performance computing architecture and engineering practices, but also opened up new avenues for dialogue on digital infrastructure cooperation among Belt and Road partner countries. Many participants expressed interest in advancing practical collaboration in areas such as joint computing infrastructure development, data governance coordination, and collaborative research and innovation—turning the vision of a "Digital Silk Road" into concrete action.

Source: Shanghai Business School