China Previews Fifth Global Digital Trade Expo with AI Focus in Hangzhou

China will host the fifth Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou from September 23 to 27, spotlighting artificial intelligence integration across trade and cross-border commerce. According to officials from the Ministry of Commerce, Zhejiang province, and Hangzhou city, artificial intelligence firms will account for more than one-third of all exhibitors. The event spans 170,000 square meters, features Malaysia and Hungary as guest countries of honor, and has attracted confirmed representatives from 121 countries and 29 international organizations alongside $977 million in pre-arranged international procurement orders.

The expo serves as a primary barometer for China's expanding digital service exports and its attempts to shape multilateral digital trade governance. As global trade increasingly shifts toward digitally delivered services, Beijing is using platforms like the Hangzhou expo to institutionalize cooperation networks with emerging markets across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, while positioning its domestic AI stack—from computing infrastructure to consumer hardware—for international adoption.

China is preparing to host the fifth Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, from September 23 to 27, placing artificial intelligence and international trade partnerships at the core of the gathering, Chinese officials announced at a State Council Information Office briefing. Digital trade has become a key driver of external economic expansion for China. According to Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong, China's total import and export volume of digitally delivered services achieved an average annual growth rate of 11.2% from 2016 to 2025, exceeding the global average rate by 1.8 percentage points. In response to this expansion, the Ministry of Commerce plans to work with local governments to enact supportive policies tailored to regional industrial strengths. The upcoming expo, themed around meeting the future of AI, will feature artificial intelligence enterprises comprising more than one-third of all exhibitors, Yan said. The showcase will encompass foundation models, industry-specific applications, and intelligent hardware terminals. It will also host technical competitions, including the World AI Open Source Competition, an Embodied AI Application Challenge, and a Global Brain-Computer Interface Innovation Competition. Zhejiang Vice Governor Hu Wei stated that the expo will introduce a dedicated exhibition area structured around computing power foundations, model services, and application deployment. Cover space for the exhibition spans 170,000 square meters, with international exhibitors representing more than 20% of the total. Malaysia and Hungary will serve as guest countries of honor, while the number of foreign delegations will exceed the cumulative total of all previous sessions. Representatives from 121 countries and regions alongside 29 international organizations have confirmed attendance. Commercial matching remains central to the event's agenda. Hu noted that nearly 40,000 professional buyers have registered, including more than 12,000 international purchasers, with pre-arranged international procurement orders already reaching $977 million. To extend commercial engagement beyond the five-day physical gathering, organizers are linking digital platforms with physical wholesale markets before and after the event. Several multilateral mechanisms will launch during the expo, Hu added, including the China headquarters of the Arab Digital Economy Union, a China-Africa AI talent cooperation initiative, and an initiative for a BRICS special economic zones cooperation network. Hangzhou Mayor Du Xuliang said the event will also feature cross-admissions with five other regional technology expos, including the Apsara Conference.