AI to take center stage at 5th global digital expo

BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The 5th Global Digital Trade Expo, an event dedicated to promoting digital trade and industrial cooperation, will take place from Sept. 23 to 27 in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, with artificial intelligence (AI) as its main theme, an official said on Monday.

More than one-third of the exhibitors will focus on AI, alongside the collective debut of AI application pilot bases, presenting a full-chain innovation ecosystem spanning foundational models, industry applications and smart devices, China's Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong noted.

A number of AI competitions will be held on the sidelines of the expo, covering areas such as open-source development, embodied intelligence and brain-computer interface technology.

The expo will feature 170,000 square meters of exhibition space, with international exhibitors accounting for over 20 percent of the total. The number of overseas pavilions has already exceeded the combined total of all previous editions.

Malaysia and Hungary will be the guest countries of honor, while representatives from 121 countries and regions and 29 international organizations have confirmed their attendance.

The expo has so far attracted nearly 40,000 professional buyers, including more than 12,000 from overseas, with expected international procurement orders reaching 977 million U.S. dollars.

China's digitally deliverable service trade value expanded at an average annual rate of 11.2 percent between 2016 and 2025, outpacing the global average by 1.8 percentage points.

According to a guideline on boosting reform and innovative development of digital trade released in November 2024, China expects the share of digitally deliverable service trade in total service trade to exceed 45 percent by 2029 and 50 percent by 2035.

The Ministry of Commerce will work with other government departments to implement the guideline, support local governments in tailoring policies to boost digital trade, and foster a coordinated effort to advance the sector, Yan added. Enditem