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Guided by Data: Exploring New Expressions in International Exchange
2026 AIIC International Cultural Exchange Conference Successfully Held in Hangzhou
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5th June 2026
On 5 June 2026, the 2026 AIIC International Cultural Exchange Conference was held at The Golden Sands Lake Grand Theater in Hangzhou. Under the theme “Intelligent Connectivity and Mutual Empathy: New Pathways and New Consensus for International Exchange in the AI Era”, the conference featured two sessions: an expert roundtable and a main forum. More than 300 participants, including representatives from relevant government departments, Chinese international exchange organisations, provincial and municipal media outlets, the cultural industry, and young people from China and abroad, attended the event. Together, they explored innovative pathways for international exchange and cultural dialogue empowered by digital technologies.
The conference opened with a roundtable discussion themed “One Region, One Strategy; Data as the Guide: How AI Can Provide Targeted Empowerment and Problem-Specific Solutions for Regional International Exchange”. The roundtable was held under the guidance of the Information Office of the People’s Government of Qiantang District, Hangzhou, and hosted by the China Europe Centre for Cultural Innovation (CECCI). More than 30 representatives from government departments, universities inside and outside Zhejiang, Chinese media organisations and cultural institutions discussed practical challenges, technological applications and collaborative mechanisms in local international exchange.
At the roundtable, Bryson Xue, Chairman of the China Europe Centre for Cultural Innovation, delivered the opening remarks. Zhu Can, a postdoctoral researcher at the College of Media and International Culture, Zhejiang University; Song Lifu, Assistant Researcher at the Institute for Intelligent Society Governance, Tsinghua University; Liu Meilan, Professor at the School of Humanities and Foreign Languages, China Jiliang University; a representative from China Arts and Entertainment Group Ltd.; and Zhao Yonghui, Assistant to the General Manager of Hunan TV International, shared their innovative practices and observations in media research, Chinese language education, brand exchange and media practice.
During the open discussion, guests exchanged in-depth views on precise audience reach, impact assessment, talent cultivation and the practical implementation of AI tools. Participants agreed that AI has provided new technological means for local international exchange, but technology itself is not the end goal. What matters more is using technology to understand audiences, interpret feedback and transform local stories into expressions that international audiences can understand, accept and emotionally connect with.
The main forum focused on practical exploration and milestone achievements in AI-enabled international exchange. Leaders attending the forum included Hu Zhenfang, Chair of the Zhejiang Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese; Hu Huilei, Party Leadership Group member and Secretary-General; Zou Lingling, Director of the Department of Cultural Exchange and Information Communication; Pan Dan, Vice President of the Hangzhou Western Returned Scholars Association and Chair of its International Cultural Exchange Committee; and Jin Chiyu, Second-Level Researcher at the United Front Work Department of the Qiantang District Committee.
At the forum, Wang Shui, Deputy President of Dolphin Books under China International Exchange Group, delivered a keynote speech titled “External-facing Publishing and International Exchange in the AI Era: Selected Practices from Dolphin Books”, sharing experience from the field of publishing for international exchange. Song Lifu, Assistant Researcher at the Institute for Intelligent Society Governance, Tsinghua University, analysed the topic “What AI Can Do for Evaluating the Effectiveness of Urban International Exchange”, exploring the value of AI technology in exchange-related research. Zhao Yonghui, Assistant to the General Manager of Hunan TV International, introduced case studies of international exchange carried out by media platforms. Feilong, an Uzbek finalist in the 2026 “Qiantang Cup” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Global Youth and a Qiantang International Exchange Ambassador, delivered a speech titled “I Am Not a ‘Laowai’; I Am a Cultural Exchange Envoy: A Foreigner’s China Story in the AI Era”, sharing his personal experience of participating in the sharing of China stories.
More than a concentrated test of the contestants’ all-round abilities, this semi-final was also a vivid exercise in international cultural exchange. Through the competition platform, young people from around the world were able to understand China and express their perceptions of China in authentic contexts, while Chinese stories were told and shared in more
diverse and multidimensional ways.
At the event, the CECCI-AIIC Collaborative Laboratory for AI + International Cultural Exchange was officially unveiled. The laboratory will carry out work in areas including AI technology research and development, international exchange impact assessment, cross-lingual content production and cultural exchange practice, while promoting close collaboration among universities, research institutions, media platforms and cultural organisations.
During the same period, Dolphin Books under China International Communications Group and the China Europe Centre for Cultural Innovation jointly established the International Exchange and Artificial Intelligence Integration Innovation Base. Drawing on their respective resources and strengths, the two sides will deepen cooperation in international exchange content innovation, AI technology application, international talent cultivation and the global sharing of cultural content, actively exploring new models and pathways for AI-enabled international exchange.
In addition, the signing ceremony for the second group of member organisations of the Haina International Exchange Alliance was held concurrently. Relying on cultural industry platforms, the alliance aims to carry out international exchange work in a more practical manner, serve the international cultural exchange and cooperation needs of its members and various regions, and focus on global-facing cultural projects. It will work to build a comprehensive international cultural exchange service platform that connects China and Europe while reaching the wider world.
The alliance seeks to break through geographical limitations and establish a relatively flexible, open and efficient platform for international cultural exchange and cooperation. It aims to realise cross-regional collaboration and resource sharing, and to promote the international sharing and implementation of cultural innovation projects. At the conference, Zhejiang Ocean University, the School of Journalism and Communication at Henan University, the School of Humanities and Foreign Languages at China Jiliang University, the Sino-France Joint Laboratory for Digital Media Forensics of Zhejiang Province at Hangzhou Dianzi University, and Hunan TV International officially joined the alliance.
In the future, member organisations will strengthen collaboration in talent cultivation, content co-creation, academic research and international exchange practice, further bringing together high-quality resources in the field of international exchange and building an open, shared and collaborative ecosystem for innovation.
Centred on practical issues in regional international exchange, the conference featured in-depth discussions and the release of several milestone achievements, demonstrating the application potential of AI technology in impact assessment, content transformation and the development of collaborative mechanisms. The event further brought together strengths from government, industry, academia, research institutions and media, offering new references and practical pathways for improving the precision and effectiveness of local international exchange and helping city stories reach the international stage more effectively.
图片及内容版权归CECCI所有，如发现侵权或盗用行为将追究法律责任
All images and content are the property of CECCI. Any unauthorised use or infringement will result in legal action.