'Digital Bridge' connects global business amid geopolitical headwinds

"Digital Bridge" continues to facilitate international business connections, covering multinational companies in China and Chinese firms expanding globally, despite geopolitical uncertainties including ongoing tariff disputes, China Biz Buzz learned during the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC) Shanghai.

The MWC's Glocal Tech Forum, co-hosted by China Mobile International, Nokia Shanghai Bell and GSMA convened to explore how technology can drive more connected, resilient and inclusive global growth.

Markus Borchert, chief executive officer of Nokia Shanghai Bell, highlighted his company's pivotal role as a "Digital Bridge," supporting both multinational firms establishing a presence in China and Chinese companies venturing overseas. While acknowledging the "vast, but also complex" opportunities, Borchert emphasized the booming demand for digital connectivity among multinationals in China, such as campus wireless networks connecting with their international operations. He cited a major European chemical company building a large facility in South China, relying on Nokia Shanghai Bell's solutions for its network infrastructure.

These companies, he noted, recognize and value the strengths of the Chinese market, its robust local supply chains and excellent infrastructure, fostering a "In China, For China" localization approach.

Separately, China Mobile unveiled its international strategy and the latest development results for GTI, a global industry association it co-founded in 2011 with SoftBank, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Sprint (now T-Mobile US).

GTI, which currently boasts 147 carrier members and 272 partner organizations, also presented insights into the evolution of 5G Advanced and 6G trends at MWC Shanghai, anticipating a boost to scientific innovation and the digital economy. Discussions at the GTI conference also delved into the deep integration between 5G, robotics and artificial intelligence.

For global expansion, Nokia Shanghai Bell has built optical data center interconnect (DCI) infrastructure for two of China's leading Internet companies, Tencent and Baidu, supporting their overseas market endeavors.