Enterprises across world come to event

Overseas participants sought market expansion and technology partners at the fifth Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

Abu Bakar Yusof, chief executive officer of Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation, or MATRADE, believes that the expo offered a chance to meet Chinese companies and other international businesses in one place.

He said Malaysian participants want to combine their products and services with those of Chinese and international partners to expand in China and other markets.

Malaysian exhibitor Nazsoft Tech was seeking Chinese partners to help Malaysian sellers connect with buyers and distributors in China. Nazsoft Tech works on the MADANI Digital Trade platform, developed by MATRADE to connect Malaysian sellers with international buyers and trade services.

MATRADE also wants to expand its cooperation with Alibaba. Abu Bakar said more than 2,500 Malaysian micro, small and medium-sized enterprises have benefited from the corporation's partnership with Alibaba over the past five years.

MATRADE was exploring how Alibaba's artificial intelligence tools could help smaller Malaysian businesses become more visible online and generate more sales, he said. "Technology is good, but it must benefit the people. It must benefit the smaller businesses."

Hungarian exhibitors were looking for partners who can help turn technical expertise into a lasting business presence.

Gabor Peter Artner, deputy chief executive officer of the Hungarian Export Promotion Agency, said the expo brought technology, e-commerce and international business together. HEPA helps Hungarian companies identify opportunities and find partners to enter the Chinese market.

Rising trade barriers and shifting supply chains made it more important for Hungarian companies to build connections and find new markets, Artner said.

According to HEPA, Livestocker Solutions offers software for pig and poultry farms to track production and identify problems early. The farm management software is available in Chinese.

Hungarian exhibitor Infuze Technologies is an official distributor in Hungary of robotic dogs made by Hangzhou-based Unitree Robotics, according to HEPA. Infuze also provides local support for robotics customers in Central Europe.

Peru's first national pavilion at the expo focused on tourism, alpaca textiles and air travel. The pavilion's debut comes as China and Peru mark 55 years of diplomatic relations.

Carlos Raul Vasquez Corrales, Peru's ambassador to China, said digital technology can strengthen cooperation between Peru and China, particularly in tourism.

"I think that these traditional ties are now going to be upgraded by the introduction of digital technologies and a lot of services that my country is offering to the world, particularly tourism," Vasquez Corrales said.

Peru's National Chamber of Tourism aims to connect Peruvian destinations and tourism businesses with Chinese digital platforms, distribution partners and investors.

Ecotourism company Inkaterra used digital content to present destinations including the Amazon rainforest and Machu Picchu, and projects that combine tourism with nature conservation and community development.

The Arab Federation for Digital Economy and the League of Arab States jointly organized a China-Arab dialogue on AI and the digital economy on Sept 24. Participants from 19 Arab countries discussed cooperation ranging from robotics to education and trade.

ROVARA, a China-Arab robotics cooperation platform, was launched at the dialogue. The platform aims to connect Chinese technology and manufacturing capabilities with demand in Arab markets, including logistics, healthcare and education. Representatives of Unitree and the Al Fahim Group took part in the ROVARA signing ceremony.

Agreements signed at the dialogue covered a digital innovation industry fund, an education and training platform, and a joint laboratory for AI-assisted strategic decision-making.

Liu Fei, secretary of the Hangzhou committee of the Communist Party of China, said Hangzhou aimed to help the city's digital products and services reach Arab markets, while enabling more Arab products to enter China through Hangzhou.

The Arab Federation for Digital Economy has also chosen Hangzhou as its base for activities in China, to coordinate cooperation programs and follow up on joint initiatives.

For Artner, the expo's value lies in turning meetings into lasting business relationships.

"It is the starting point, where today's meetings turn into pilots, agreements and measurable business results," he said.

fanzitong@chinadaily.com.cn