Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, Internet-of-Things and 5G could provide outlets for economic recovery during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, Huawei rotating chairman Guo Ping said on Monday.
“This growth didn’t come easy, especially given the complicated environment we’re currently in," Guo Ping said, citing the firm's 13 percent year-on-year profit increase (454bn yuan) amid the ongoing US trade war with China and COVID-19 crisis.
But Huawei would continue to invest in research and development as well as attract top talent to facilitate the company's drive for innovation, he added.
“We are keeping focused and doing what we do best. No matter what challenges come our way, we will fulfil our obligations to our customers and suppliers. We will get through this and keep forging ahead, helping [to] grow the digital economy and pushing technology forward.” the rotating chair said.
Speaking further, he discussed how the pandemic had reshaped how people lived and worked, but added that ICT had the potential to help combat the virus as carriers and enterprises worked with industry leaders.
Mr Guo Ping also described nine scenarios for emerging technologies as outlined in the coronavirus outbreak across China, starting from the onset of the pandemic and plateau in cases to the nation's post-peak recovery.
Such scenarios included quickly building hospital 5G networks, offering remote medical consultations, drug R&D, pandemic prevention and control, medical imaging and analysis and restarting governments and businesses, among others.
China's Huoshenshan Hospital was built in a matter of days and has over 300 beds, but doctor shortages posed 'headaches' to medical care, he added.
China's First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University used such technologies to provide telemedicine services to over 1,400 institutions across China, Zambia, Morocco and others in electro cardiography, pathology and radiology, he said.
According to figures, over 40,000 consultations and 500,000 diagnoses were performed at the world's largest hospital by capacity.
The summit, which will take place from 27 to 20 July, aims to discuss how businesses and governments can use 5G to rebuild and transform the digital economy. Numerous guests from China Telecom, GSMA, Etisalat, South African telecom MTN, 3GPP and others gave speeches on the first day of the event on how emerging technologies can help amid the crises.