Staffers transport exhibits and conduct final adjustments to prepare for the 4th Global Digital Trade Expo, which will be held from September 25 to 29, 2025 in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province. Photo: Li Hao/GT

At a major ceremony held on Thursday, the first day of the 4th Global Digital Trade Expo (GDTE), agreements for 45 projects were signed, with a total investment value of 64.87 billion yuan ($9.1 billion), involving areas such as the digital economy, artificial intelligence (AI), intelligent manufacturing, new energy, smart logistics, and financial technology, the Global Times learned from the expo organizer.
On opening day, the expo's tech unveilings highlighted digital trade's depth and sketched a "technology-industry-lifestyle" fusion. Technology is reshaping the full digital trade chain, boosting efficiency and cutting costs, participants and exhibitors at the GDTE told the Global Times.
The expo, running from Thursday to September 29 in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, unveiled a wave of cutting-edge technologies, smart products, and intelligent services.
For example, take DeepSeek. The company introduced its latest generative AI model, blending poetry and music composition, at the event. This model is powered by an efficient Mixture-of-Experts architecture and open-weight design, matching AI large-language models' capabilities while slashing training costs, according to the expo's organizer.
Other exhibiting companies likewise showcased or debuted AI-integrated products and solutions. For example, Qiantang Ark (Hangzhou) Intelligent Technology Co debuted an intelligent cultivation container integrating AI with agriculture. Hangzhou Star Species Robotics Co debuted a globally pioneering "human-machine collaboration" smart cleaning robot. DBAPP Security Co released an AI-driven data safety agent.
"The AI workstation that we released recently offers businesses a personalized AI assistant at the price of just one yuan per person per day," Fang Yi, chairman and general manager of Merit Interactive Co, a big data mobile internet integrated service provider, told the Global Times on Thursday on the sidelines of the GDTE. Fang highlighted the increasing mobility and flexibility of the usage of AI in various industries.

A humanoid robot by Unitree Robotics waves hands to celebrate victory in a boxing match at the 4th Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, on September 25, 2025. Photo: Chi Jingyi/GT

In the culture and entertainment field, AI helps turn ideas into reality.
For example, at the digital exhibition booth for Dunhuang art, a 1:1 restoration of the Yulin Grottoes of the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, Northwest China's Gansu Province, was showcased.
Using AI technology, mural scenes are recreated through digital art, Li Qiuxiao, associate professor in the Music Engineering Department of the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music, told the Global Times on Thursday at the GDTE.
Beyond AI, novelty products from other digital sectors made their debuts. For example, Shenzhen HYderim Technology Co unveiled the world's first spectroscopic 3D chip on board (COB) LED display system. Qiao Xintao, founder of the company, told the Global Times that this tech breakthrough, after seven years of research and development, can deliver high-brightness, flicker-free 3D visuals without glasses, via precise optical design with varied-wavelength LED chips, making it a globally leading product.
The technology has been used in locations such as the Shenzhen Science & Technology Museum, said Qiao.
In terms of other emerging industries, enterprises showcased their latest products empowered by various digital technologies.
"The debut of the AIGLE-XL aircraft at the GDTE marks our first showcase at a Chinese exhibition. This product was previously manufactured and sold mainly in France, but production began in China last year, signaling our official entry into the Chinese market. We are highly optimistic about the vast potential of China's low-altitude economy," Wang Zhengtao, vice-president of Zhejiang Qingyi Aviation Technology Co, told the Global Times on Thursday.