The Fourth Global Digital Trade Expo (GDTE) officially kicked off in Hangzhou on Thursday, marking a milestone as China's only national-level expo focused on digital trade. Under the theme, "Witness the innovative future at the Global Digital Trade Expo," this year's edition spotlights the integration of artificial intelligence (AI). The event adopts a new format combining exhibitions, conferences, competitions, rankings, investment and financing and specialized committees.
The 2025 expo is the largest yet, drawing participants from 154 countries and regions, as well as 33 international organizations – a 50 percent increase from last year. It features 1,812 exhibitors, including 381 international companies, making up 21 percent of the total. More than 42,000 professional buyers are attending, of which 11,000 are international buyers, up 64 percent from last year, highlighting the expo's expanding global reach.
The exhibition floor showcases a variety of highlights, including DeepSeek's generative AI, which can compose poetry and music on the spot, and Unitree Robotics' robots performing street dance. With 155,000 square meters of exhibit space, the event is structured around seven specialized industry zones, covering AI, digital entertainment, smart travel, the Silk Road e-commerce, digital healthcare, smart spaces and intelligent logistics. These sectors are showcasing cutting-edge technologies including generative AI and multimodal sensory interactions, offering visitors a unique opportunity to "explore the future."
"AI and robotics driven by digital technologies represent the greatest opportunities of our time. Global collaboration will drive technological progress and bring more benefits to humanity," said Wang Xingxing, founder and CEO of Unitree Robotics.
Over the five-day exhibition, a series of events including the robotics innovation competition and electronic music festival will take place. More than 100 cutting-edge technologies and products, such as the global digital trade constellation and intelligent companion robots, will make their China debut, Asia premiere and even global unveiling at the expo.