Global Digital Trade Expo Launches in Hangzhou, China, With Participation from Around 50 Countries
Beijing, 24 Sep (KUNA) -- The fifth edition of the Global Digital Trade Expo opened on Thursday in Hangzhou, China, with the participation of 1,200 representatives from approximately 50 countries, regions, and international organizations.
China Central Television (CCTV) reported that Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and Kyrgyz Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliev attended the opening ceremony of the expo, which is organized by China's Ministry of Commerce and the government of Zhejiang Province under the theme "Meeting the Future of Artificial Intelligence at the Expo."
Citing Li Qiang, the television network reported that he emphasized in his opening speech the importance of strengthening cooperation to improve digital governance, bridge the digital divide between countries, and increase support for developing nations in infrastructure and workforce training amid the trend of economic globalization, thereby promoting a freer global trade environment.
Spanning 170,000 square meters this year, the expo focuses on cross-border e-commerce, technology trade, and digital products and services, alongside data trade. It features eight exhibition zones, with key themes including artificial intelligence, mobility, digital entertainment, and smart healthcare.
The expo, which runs until next Sunday, has attracted 2,000 companies from around the world, one-third of which specialize in artificial intelligence. Notable participants include Alibaba, Google, Amazon, and DeepSeek. A dedicated zone for tokens has also been established, showcasing the full artificial intelligence industry chain.
Concurrent with the expo, the Global Open-Source Artificial Intelligence Competition, the Embodied AI Application Challenge, and the Brain-Computer Interface Innovation Competition are being held to accelerate the real-world application of artificial intelligence technologies.
During the expo, the establishment of the China headquarters of the Arab Union for Digital Economy is scheduled to be announced, along with the launch of the China-Africa Cooperation Plan for training AI professionals and the initiative for a network of cooperation among the special economic zones of BRICS countries.
A report issued by the expo's organizing committee indicated that global digital trade exports reached $7.75 trillion in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 7.1 percent. This figure accounts for 22.2 percent of total global exports of goods and services.
(END) SLQ / MAA
