A robot dog becomes the center of attention at a former session of the Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou. [Photo/WeChat account: Westlakeexpo]

The 4th Global Digital Trade Expo will be held on Sept 25-29 in Hangzhou — capital of East China's Zhejiang province — showcasing cutting-edge achievements with artificial intelligence as the biggest highlight, officials announced on Aug 25.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of both the Digital China initiative and China's cross-border e-commerce pilot zones.

The event will feature the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia as guest countries of honor, with Nothwest China's Shaanxi as the guest province.

The expo will cover 155,000 square meters, hosting 1,671 exhibitors from around the world, including 360 international companies. It will feature one main exhibition hall, five digital trade sectors and seven specialized industry zones.

AI will take center stage with full-chain displays from R&D to applications. Highlights include DeepSeek's generative AI, Unitree's robots and over 30 affordable consumer AI products such as smart glasses and embodied service robots. Visitors can also join robot competitions, interactive demos and the launch of the 2025 UN Datathon China.

The expo will integrate business matching via the upgraded Digital Trade Online platform, which already has 32,000 preregistered professional buyers, including 7,700 from overseas and over 300 international procurement requests.

A diverse activity matrix of eight themed events, 34 industry sessions and multiple investment and innovation forums will further promote cooperation — alongside the launch of a nationwide digital shopping season offering exclusive shopping vouchers.

Officials said the expo has become a key platform for Zhejiang's push to become a global digital trade hub. In 2024, Zhejiang's digital trade exceeded 800 billion yuan ($112.18 billion), marking six consecutive years of double-digit growth. 

An exhibitor talks to visitors at a previous expo. [Photo/WeChat account: Westlakeexpo]