Photos by Wei Yao, edited by Lu Yan

At the opening of the First Session of the 13th National People's Congress （NPC） in Beijing on March 5, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivered the Report on the Work of the Government, saying that in the past five years China has done more to carry out the Internet Plus Initiative, including exercising accommodative and prudential regulation, and promoting the extensive application of big data, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things.

The government work report also said that the Internet Plus model has permeated every industry and every field. Business startups and innovation are thriving all over the country. Rapidly emerging new growth drivers are reshaping China’s growth model and profoundly changing the way people live and work.

The number of NPC deputies and members of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) from the Internet industries at this year’s Two Sessions saw a significant rise. Combining their perspectives on the development of their own professions, they filed motions or made proposals on various topics including agriculture, education, finance, medicine and health, elderly care and artificial intelligence (AI), providing their own contributions to the promotion of innovation-driven development.

Pony Ma, founder and CEO of Internet giant Tencent, was elected for the second time as an NPC deputy. This year he submitted five written suggestions. He said at a press conference in Beijing on March 3 that compared to when he last held the post five years ago, he is more confident in performing his job as a deputy, and his horizons have expanded beyond the Internet industry to culture, finance and people’s livelihood.

Like Ma, Lei Jun, CEO of leading technology company Xiaomi, was also elected for a second time. Managing a successful private enterprise himself, Lei proposed that such enterprises should be more involved in the Belt and Road Initiative by providing quality products and services to customers in countries along the route. He also suggested that the Ministry of Commerce establish a platform with the support of embassies in countries along the belt and road in order to help private enterprises expand cooperation and business.

Richard Liu, founder of e-commerce giant JD.com, was elected for the first time as an NPC deputy. He set his sights on poverty alleviation, stating that e-commerce platforms should play an active role in helping farmers sell their produce, by aiding them to build successful brands and improve logistic infrastructure.