The 4th Global Digital Trade Expo (GDTE) in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province reported 102 key outcomes, and investment agreements totaling CNY161 billion, an increase of 64% year-on-year. 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. For the first time, a “Digital Trade Investment Day” matched 132 nationwide sci-tech projects with 117 investment institutions, leading to preliminary cooperation agreements for 38 project-capital pairs. The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), for example, extended CNY19.6 billion in credit to sci-tech firms at the Expo.
From a procurement perspective, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries and BRICS partners accounted for over 50% of total orders. Overall procurement reached CNY30.9 billion, doubling from the previous edition, with AI, cultural exports, and cross-border e-commerce accounting for 82% of orders, and international deals making up 71.5%, said Chen Weijing, Deputy Director of the Hangzhou Commerce Bureau. “The guest of honor, Indonesia, led with CNY5 billion of purchases, the highest from any single nation. Indonesian purchasers also chartered a plane for participants attending 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 an event was held on the theme of digital city construction. The Global Digital Trade Development Report 2025, published for the first time by the United Nations, revealed 2024 global digital trade at USD7.23 trillion.
“A total of 33 international organizations attended, a 50% increase from last year. Over 400 multinational executives and 1,200 experts engaged in dialogues. International exhibitors accounted for over 20%, while the number of overseas buyers increased by 64% year-on-year,” Hou Bin, Deputy Director of the E-commerce Department at the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), said. Next year, the 5th edition of the GDTE will welcome Hungary as the guest of honor. Platforms such as the GDTE helped enterprises, especially 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.
The China Daily adds that under the theme “Witness the Innovative Future at the Global Digital Trade Expo”, the five-day GDTE was divided into seven specialized industry exhibition areas: AI, digital entertainment, Silk Road e-commerce, smart mobility, digital healthcare, smart spaces, and smart logistics. A total of 1,812 exhibitors from 154 countries and regions participated in the exhibition, presenting future scenarios where digital technology empowers industrial development. The number of foreign exhibitors reached 381, accounting for more than 20% of the total. The number of foreign buyers reached 11,000, up 64% year-on-year.
