A concept photo of digital economy Photo: VCG

The third Global Digital Trade Expo will take place in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang Province, from September 25 to 29, Chinese officials said on Wednesday, noting that the expo, featuring openness, innovation and win-win results, will serve as a global public product for the reform and innovative development of digital trade.  

Experts said that the event will become a bridge for global enterprises to leverage digital trade resources to enhance cooperation and promote development, and it will also be an important platform to demonstrate China's high level of opening-up, as the country has been utilizing its strengths to contribute solutions for the development of the world's digital trade. 

The expo, featuring Kazakhstan and Thailand as guests of honor, will welcome participants from leading enterprises in 32 countries and regions, and the number of international enterprises will account for over 20 percent. Cities such as Boston will organize companies to participate in the event, Tang Wenhong, assistant minister of commerce, said on Wednesday.

More than 1,500 enterprises have confirmed their participation in the exhibition, of which more than 300 are international enterprises. More than 30,000 professional buyers have registered to attend the exhibition, of whom more than 6,000 are international businessmen. This year's exhibitors and professional buyers have shown a significant increase, said Lu Shan, deputy governor of Zhejiang.

Activities related to artificial intelligence and the low-altitude economy will be included in the expo.

"The third Global Digital Trade Expo can be seen as a tangible manifestation of China's continued opening-up, especially in digital trade. Through the event, China has demonstrated its determination to share market opportunities with the world, and participants will enhance cooperation and promote the development of the digital economy," Pan Helin, a member of the Expert Committee for the Information and Communication Economy under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said on Wednesday.

Tang noted that in the first half of 2024, China's total trade in digitally deliverable services reached a record high of 1.42 trillion yuan ($200.5 billion), up 3.7 percent. Cross-border e-commerce totaled 1.22 trillion yuan, up 10.5 percent, also a new record.

"China's continuous digital openness will drive innovation in digital trade, and the combination of digital trade and new technologies will form new applications, such as the widespread use of cloud computing, which can enhance the efficiency of global economic development," Pan said.