Global Digital Trade Expo highlights AI's role in international trade

The fifth Global Digital Trade Expo (GDTE) is being held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, from September 23 to 27. The event, which attracted over 50,000 participants from 163 countries, focuses on the intersection of artificial intelligence and global digital trade.

A major highlight of this year's expo is the emergence of AI as a core trade commodity rather than just a tool. For the first time, a dedicated “Token” zone was established to showcase the underlying infrastructure of AI, including computing power, large models, and quantum computing. This shift treats AI tokens—the fundamental units for processing language and instructions—as measurable and tradable digital goods.

In conjunction with the expo, the Zhejiang Provincial Innovation and Investment Group is emphasizing the role of “patient capital” in supporting hard technology sectors. The group reported a fund pool exceeding 350 billion yuan, aimed at providing long-term financial support for frontier industries such as artificial intelligence, commercial aerospace, and embodied intelligence. During the event, the group signed agreements for projects totaling over 10 billion yuan.

Various companies are showcasing specialized AI applications, ranging from urban traffic management models using satellite imagery to AI-driven data solutions for industrial outsourcing and 3D body assessment technologies.