Executives from several of China's biggest internet and technology companies say big data and other technology trends such as virtual reality will have a significant impact on today's businesses.

"To generate value from data, you need calculations. Whether it is industry 4.0 in Europe or the sharing economy in America, the true driving force behind them has also been calculations. So we are basically in a calculation economy today," said Wang Jian, chief architect Alibaba Group.

"I think big data is everywhere, it just depends on how you cultivate it. We are going into data exchange and sharing economy in the future. This is what we are doing in Guiyang," said Guo Taiming, president Foxconn.

"Practically all Chinese companies are online and doing e-commerce. But they don't have capable systems. We believe our system can satisfy any e-commerce firm's needs," said Liu Qiangdong, CEO JD.COM.

"We improve our customers' travel experience. Virtual reality tours allow people to see a tourist spot before going. This will make them more likely to actually go there," said Ye Yaming, CTO Ctrip.