Hangzhou, China is set to bring together businesses, governments and technology leaders for the 5th Global Digital Trade Expo from September 23 to 27, with artificial intelligence (AI) at the heart of the event.
China’s Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong said more than 1/3 of the exhibitors will focus on AI. The expo will also see the collective debut of AI application pilot bases, showcasing an innovation ecosystem covering foundational models, industry applications and smart devices.
Several AI competitions will take place alongside the expo, covering areas such as open-source development, embodied intelligence and brain-computer interface technology.
The event will cover 170,000 square metres of exhibition space. International exhibitors will account for more than 20% of the total, while the number of overseas pavilions has already exceeded the combined total from all previous editions.
Malaysia and Hungary will be the guest countries of honour. Representatives from 121 countries and regions and 29 international organisations have confirmed their attendance.
The expo has already attracted nearly 40,000 professional buyers, including more than 12,000 from overseas. International procurement orders are expected to reach $977 million.
China’s digitally deliverable service trade grew at an average annual rate of 11.2% between 2016 and 2025. This was 1.8 percentage points higher than the global average.
Under a guideline released in November 2024 to promote reform and innovative development in digital trade, China aims to increase the share of digitally deliverable service trade in total service trade to more than 45% by 2029 and 50% by 2035.
Yan said the Ministry of Commerce will work with other government departments to implement the guideline, support local governments in developing policies suited to their needs and promote coordinated efforts to advance digital trade.
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