Full coverage: 3rd World Internet Conference

The third World Internet Conference has just got underway. But what are the highlights of this year's event? And, what new proposals have been tabled from China?

The third world internet conference opened with a key video message sent from Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is on his way to Latin America for the APEC leaders' meeting in Peru. He advocated for deeper international cooperation in cyberspace and to build a common destiny of common future in cyberspace.

Senior CPC official Liu Yunshan further elaborated on this.

"We should regard the 'respect of internet sovereignty' as a basic principle, and safeguard countries’ equal rights and power in cyberspace in terms of development, participation and governance arrangements," he said.

The 3rd World Internet Conference opens in Wuzhen, east China's Zhejiang Province, Nov. 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

Internet-related industries have also become a key growth engine for China’s economy, as the country is undergoing a tough economic transformation and upgrading.

"E-commerce is simply using internet technologies, internet thinking and is aware that the future economy will be fully based on the internet. E-commerce companies created a business model that is suitable for the future,"said Jack Ma, founder and chairman of Alibaba Group.

The Chinese government has been advocating massive campaigns to integrate traditional sectors like manufacturing and agriculture, as well as service sectors with the booming internet industries.

The 3rd World Internet Conference opens in Wuzhen, east China's Zhejiang Province, Nov. 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Xin)