The fourth Global Digital Trade Expo holds a boxing match between two humanoid robots. [Photo provided to ezhejiang.gov.cn]

The 4th Global Digital Trade Expo concluded on Sept 29 in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, with intended investment and trade deals worth 161.98 billion yuan ($22.79 billion), according to the organizers.

The event attracted 1,812 exhibitors and more than 257,000 visits, showcasing 382 global debuts in digital entertainment, healthcare, and smart home sectors. Nearly one-third of the exhibition space was dedicated to artificial intelligence technologies and robot demonstrations, reflecting the deep integration of digital trade and AI.

International participation expanded significantly this year, with representatives from 154 countries and 33 international organizations. More than 20 percent of exhibitors were international companies, including over 130 from Europe and the United States, while attendance by foreign merchants surged 64 percent.

The event coincided with the 10th anniversary of China's first cross-border e-commerce pilot zone, established in Hangzhou in 2015. The number of cross-border e-commerce sellers in the city has grown from just over 200 to 65,000, while the total import and export value has expanded more than 1,266 times.

In the first half of this year, Zhejiang's digital trade reached 415 billion yuan, up 13.2 percent year-on-year. Over the past three years, the province's cross-border e-commerce imports and exports have grown at an average annual rate exceeding 20 percent, enabling many small and medium-sized businesses to sell to global markets online.

Zhejiang will build a digital trade port and adopt a "1+3+N" development layout — one digital trade expo, three core centers in Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Yiwu, and multiple signature projects or application scenarios developed by other cities to reflect their unique strengths.