HANGZHOU, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Ant Financial Services Group on Thursday said it is more pressing than ever to bridge the digital divide in the current economic climate.
Digital technologies have the power to invigorate social and economic development and support stable and long-term economic growth, Ant Group said in its 2020 corporate social responsibility report.
"Digital technology has played a pivotal role in combating COVID-19 and enabling consumers and businesses to resume work and life as soon as possible," said Eric Jing, executive chairman of Ant Group.
"Now more than ever, we recognize the power of digital technology to transcend geographical and information gaps and help countries and institutions work together, be it during natural disasters or in daily life. Together we can leverage technology to build a better society for the future," said Jing.
Since the COVID-19 outbreak, Ant Group's mobile payment service, Alipay, has launched a variety of services and measures. These include online medical consultations, online grocery delivery services, consumption coupons distribution and online charitable donations - all to mitigate the impact on individuals and small and micro businesses and to support their recovery.
Many of the digital lifestyle service platforms enabled by Alipay have also played an important role in creating jobs during the epidemic, the report said.
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