Participants watch a humanoid robot at the national pavilion of United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the 4th Global Digital Trade Expo (GDTE) in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, on September 26, 2025. The expo is held from September 25 to 29. Photo: Li Hao/GT

International businesses have praised China's artificial intelligence (AI) development and the integration of AI technologies into various industries at the 4th Global Digital Trade Expo (GDTE), held from Thursday to Monday in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province. They said attending the expo not only brings them opportunities to further expand in China's large market, but also in advancing technology collaboration.

The global participants' willingness to seek opportunities can be seen from a significant expansion of the international community's attendance this year, with 11,000 overseas exhibitors and buyers registered, representing an increase of 64 percent from the previous edition, according to the latest data provided by the expo organizer.

A total of 154 countries and regions are exhibiting or participating. The guests of honor are the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Indonesia, while 33 international organizations have confirmed their attendance, a 50 percent rise from last year.

HexaPrime Technology Co LLC, a Dubai-based company specializing in cybersecurity solutions, expressed optimism about potential collaborations at the expo. "We're connecting with impressive people here, and we expect promising partnerships. With the event ongoing, we're hopeful these connections will grow," the company told the Global Times at the GDTE.

Yuliya Volkova, a technician at HexaPrime Technology, told the Global Times that this is the company's first time at the GDTE. "We're here as part of the UAE's company delegation to explore the China market and connect with Chinese industries. Cybersecurity is the backbone of digital trade, that is why we're here," Volkova said.

Impressed by the expo, she added, "The Chinese AI developments are mind-blowing. I've heard about them while in the UAE, but seeing the sophistication firsthand is incredible."

"As a UAE-based company, we focus on selling certain Chinese vehicle models in our own dealerships in the UAE, Oman, Abu Dhabi, and also in Southeast Asia and Africa," a staff member at Oneroad Gourp Dubai told the Global Times on Friday. This company was also among the UAE corporate delegation.

The staff member said that they focus on sales channels, therefore attending the expo can also help them find partners to co-develop technologies.

Another guest of honor Indonesia is also deeply engaged in the expo, setting up a national pavilion and bringing a large delegation of more than 300 professional buyers, offering vast collaboration opportunities for exhibitors and elevating China-Indonesia digital trade cooperation to new heights, a staff member at the Indonesia's national pavilion told the Global Times.

Buyers from Indonesia have so far expressed procurement intentions exceeding 5 billion yuan ($700.8 million) for the country's new capital construction and digital transformation, with the total procurement value for this expo projected to hit 30 billion yuan, said the expo organizer.

This year, participants' focus of attending the GDTE has shifted from merely facilitating transactions and market expansion to connecting with supply chain partners that can aid intelligent upgrades. Global participants from Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and beyond are leveraging the platform to tap into China's AI and other digital technologies, driving their industries' digital transformation and smart upgrades.

"We are here to introduce our offerings to the Chinese market and the world, seeking support and investment to expand. But we also want to find some digital solutions to speed up and scale up production, since currently, 95-98 percent of our products are handmade," Nana Oforiwa Kwao-Adotey, Founder & CEO of SinceShea, a Ghana-based beauty and personal care brand, told the Global Times at the GDTE.

"With digitization, I believe we can leapfrog five years of growth in just one year." As a first-time participant in China and at the expo, Kwao-Adotey expressed eagerness to explore new AI development and robotics on display.

"We hope that an increasing number of Chinese sellers will learn about Latin America and our platform, enabling them to bring more Chinese products to the region and foster prosperous trade between our countries and areas. Chinese sellers boast a flexible and efficient supply chain, offering a wide range of product choices to Latin American buyers," Lin Xiao, marketing manager at Mercado Libre, the largest e-commerce platform in Latin America, told the Global Times at GDTE.

She emphasized that another aim for participating in this expo is to find talent in consumer electronics.