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4th Global Digital Trade Expo concludes with 102 outcomes, securing 161.98b yuan in investment and trade intent agreements
   2025-09-30 10:15   

Participants to the 4th Global Digital Trade Expo watch a robotic dog on September 25, 2025, in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province. The expo, held from September 25-29, includes a main pavilion named

Participants to the 4th Global Digital Trade Expo watch a robotic dog on September 25, 2025, in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province. The expo, held from September 25-29, includes a main pavilion named "future tech arena" and seven themed zones - AI, digital culture & entertainment, smart mobility, and more - showcasing advanced technologies such as generative AI and multimodal sensory interaction. Photo: Li Hao/GT

The 4th Global Digital Trade Expo (GDTE) concluded on Monday in Hangzhou, East China' Zhejiang Province, unveiling 102 key outcomes, including reports, cases, and standards. The event facilitated investment and trade intent signings totaling 161.98 billion yuan ($22.7 billion), with anan increase of 64 percent year-on-year, the latest statistics showed. The results underscored its role as a pivotal platform for digital trade innovation and global cooperation.

Organized around five core digital trade sectors, the expo integrated exhibitions, conferences, and competitions to "attract business through events," yielding remarkable results, Hu Zhenfang, vice director of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Commerce, said on Monday at a press conference on the GDTE outcomes.

For the first time, a "Digital Trade Investment Day" matched 132 nationwide sci-tech projects with 117 investment institutions, leading to preliminary cooperation intents for 38 project-capital pairs. The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, for example, extended 19.6 billion yuan in credit to on-site sci-tech firms, said Hu.

From a procurement perspective, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries and BRICS partners accounted for over 50 percent of total orders. Overall procurement reached 30.9 billion yuan, doubling from the previous edition, with AI, cultural exports, and cross-border e-commerce accounting for 82 percent of orders and international deals making up 71.5 percent, said Chen Weijing, deputy director at Hangzhou Commerce Bureau, at Monday's press conference.

"The guest of honor, Indonesia, led with a 5 billion yuan purchase, the highest from any single nation. Indonesian purchasers also chartered a plane to attend the expo," said Chen.

The "open to global" feature of the expo was showcased through many first-time events, Hu noted. For example, the expo hosted the inaugural "BRICS Special Economic Zones Dialogue" and for the first time a dialogue and exchange event was held with the theme of digital city construction. The Global Digital Trade Development Report 2025, published for the first time as a formal output of the United Nations, revealed 2024 global digital trade at $7.23 trillion.

"Additionally, the debut of China-Africa Digital Trade Development Report illustrated digital trade's role in transformation of small- and medium-sized enterprises and in bridging digital divides across nations, urban-rural gaps, genders, and age groups," said Hu.

The openness was also seen from a rising participation of international exhibitors and buyers.

"A total of 33 international organizations attended, a 50 percent increase from last year. Over 400 multinational executives and 1,200 experts engaged in dialogues. International exhibitors accounted for over 20 percent, while overseas buyers rising 64 percent year-on-year," Hou Bin, Ddeputy dDirector of E-commerce Department at the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), said at the press conference on Monday at the press conference.

As the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) kicks off next year, the 5th edition of the GDTE will welcome Hungary as the guest of honor. The MOFCOM will enhance the expo's professional guidance, open cooperation, and global influence, driving digital trade reform and inclusive globalization, said Hou.

"We are happy to be here to showcase our brand among the other logistics players worldwide. We also vow to show how we could connect Chinese businesses to global opportunities, especially in the UAE and the Middle East," Sarbarupini Letchumanan, a manager at Aramex-Sinotrans Express Co, told the Global Times at the 4th GDTE, noting that the expo "opens up a major pathway for global e-commerce businesses."

Platforms such as the GDTE helped enterprises, especially those SMEs, quickly connect with potential partners, such as e-commerce platforms, logistics companies and digital technology firms, that enable them to participate in digital trade, Zheng Liangxi, Vice President of the Strategic Development Department of Ant Group, told the Global Times at the GDTE.

"Leveraging platforms like the GDTE, Yowant is committed to driving the transformation of 'Made in China' into 'China Brands,' offering comprehensive support for the global development of Chinese brands and collaborating with more partners to explore international markets together," Xie Rudong, Chairman and CEO of Hangzhou Yowant Network Technology Co., Ltd, shared his view at the Silk Road E-commerce Day event of the GDTE on Thursday.

Although China's manufacturing sector holds a prominent position globally, many high-quality factories remain "behind the scenes," grappling with challenges such as weak brand strength, high marketing costs, and difficulties in scaling up international expansion, Xie said in a statement sent to the Global Times.

Source: Global Times Author: Chi Jingyi Editor: Ye Lijiao
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The 4th Global Digital Trade Expo (GDTE) concluded on Monday in Hangzhou, East China' Zhejiang Province, unveiling 102 key outcomes, including reports, cases, and standards.