Global Digital Trade Expo Opens In Hangzhou, Showcasing AI, Robots

(MENAFN- Jordan Times) HANGZHOU, China - The fifth Global Digital Trade Expo opened on Thursday, bringing together more than 2,000 companies from 163 countries and regions and over 50,000 professional buyers and visitors to promote digital trade cooperation and AI technologies.

Running from September 23–27 under the theme“Meet the AI Future at GDTE”, the expo features events on supplier-buyer links, investment promotion and digital trade cooperation.

During the opening ceremony, Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang called for greater openness and international cooperation in digital trade, stressing the need to strengthen mutual trust and support developing countries in technology, infrastructure and training.

Li said that major technological innovations throughout history had contributed to a more open world and that accelerated digitalisation was reinforcing the trend towards economic globalisation.

“Mutual trust, mutual benefit and open cooperation alone will help us win the future,” Li said, adding that mutual distrust and beggar-thy-neighbour approaches would be“discarded by the times”.

Li called on the international community to strengthen North-South cooperation in digital trade and provide greater support to developing countries, particularly in technology, infrastructure and personnel training.

He stressed the importance of ensuring that development combines speed with a human dimension to promote global prosperity and improve living standards.

Li said that China had for years promoted economic globalisation by honouring its commitments, strengthening cooperation, upholding equality and pursuing mutually beneficial outcomes.

He added that China would continue to embrace the world in the digital era, deepen economic and trade cooperation with countries and regions and work to promote global economic recovery and growth.

Li also highlighted the role of companies in driving digital trade, welcoming greater investment from companies from around the world and their long-term engagement in the Chinese market.

He said that China would fully implement national treatment for foreign-invested enterprises, address their reasonable concerns and create conditions for them to operate and expand their businesses with confidence.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called for greater international cooperation to ensure that artificial intelligence and digitalisation contribute to shared prosperity and do not widen economic and technological gaps between developed and developing countries.

He said AI should be used to raise productivity, help smaller companies compete and enable industries to move towards higher-value activities, while ensuring that people also benefit from technological change.

Anwar warned that rapid advances in AI could deepen existing socioeconomic inequalities if developing countries are unable to access the necessary technologies, infrastructure and skills.

“The question remains what purpose would it really serve humanity?” he said, stressing that technological progress should ultimately serve people.

He also underscored the importance of responsible AI governance and ethics, saying that governments and institutions should support technological development while ensuring appropriate safeguards.

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