GLOBAL DIGITAL TRADE EXPO OPENS IN HANGZHOU

HANGZHOU, SEPTEMBER 24 /SRNA/ — The Global Digital Trade Expo opened today in the Chinese city of Hangzhou, with participants conveying a message that the development of digital trade and artificial intelligence should be based on openness, cooperation and common rules, with efforts made to ensure that technological progress is accessible to developing countries as well.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang said at the opening ceremony of the fifth expo that the international community should strengthen digital connectivity, facilitate the efficient flow of data and promote the harmonization of standards, noting that digital trade depends even more than traditional trade on a free and open environment.

“Mutual trust, mutual benefit, openness and cooperation can bring about the future,” Li said, warning that it is not fair for one country to impose its rules on others.

He said China's digital consumption exceeded 25 trillion yuan last year, an increase of 8.7 percent, while China has ranked first in the world in terms of online retail sales for 13 consecutive years.

According to him, China will continue to develop digital infrastructure, expand digital consumption, promote cross-border e-commerce and open its market to foreign companies, while supporting the digital development of countries in the Global South through initiatives such as the Digital Silk Road.

Li stressed that the volume of cross-border data flows in China increased by 15 percent last year and stressed the importance of open development of artificial intelligence.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim warned that artificial intelligence development must not further deepen the gap between developed and developing countries.

“Either we manage artificial intelligence, or artificial intelligence will manage us,” Anwar said, emphasizing the need for an ethical approach and responsible governance of new technologies.

He said artificial intelligence should increase productivity, help small companies become more competitive and enable the development of high-value industries, but that the benefits of technological progress must be accessible to all.

Anwar highlighted the importance of cooperation with China in Malaysia's digital transformation and said that countries of the Global South must have a greater influence in shaping their technological future.

Kyrgyz Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliev said that digital trade is no longer merely one segment of global trade, but is becoming “a new pillar of global economic infrastructure”.

He said Kyrgyzstan is particularly interested in cooperation with China in the areas of e-commerce, digital logistics, cross-border payments, artificial intelligence and the development of digital infrastructure.

“Digital trade erases distances,” Kasymaliev said, noting that Kyrgyzstan's geographical position could be an advantage for the development of trade, logistics and the digital economy.

He added that Kyrgyzstan wants to be not only a user of new technologies, but also a place where technologies are developed and applied.

The fifth Global Digital Trade Expo brought together companies and institutions from various countries, showcasing achievements in digital trade, artificial intelligence, digital services and cross-border e-commerce.