On September 24, launch ceremony for the 2026 “Silk Road E-Commerce Day” was held in Hangzhou. Yan Dong, Vice Minister of Commerce, attended and addressed the event. More than 120 representatives from government, industry, academia, and research institutes of over 30 countries and international organizations attended the event. The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released the report of Investment and Enterprise Development in Artificial Intelligence: Global Trends and China’s Experience. The Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation released the report of the Silk Road E-Commerce Development Report 2026. Representatives from partner countries of Silk Road E-Commerce, including Indonesia and Hungary, as well as the Secretariat for the China-Central Asia mechanism, attended the event and delivered remarks. All sides expressed the shared hope to further deepen international cooperation under the “Silk Road E-Commerce” framework. Over 100 e-commerce trainees from Global South countries were invited to take part in immersive study tours, and online livestreaming was organized for participants of the “Silk Road E-Commerce” Online Lectures for Africa.

The Silk Road E-Commerce Day has been held for four consecutive sessions and is among the most popular events during the Global Digital Trade Expo. This year’s event builds  multi-dimensional programs in a “1+1+2” format, featuring one launch ceremony, one “Silk Road E-Commerce” exhibition, as well as two activities online and on-site, namely the “Silk Road E-Commerce” promotional event in Hangzhou and the online Silk Road E-Commerce Selection Week. As a key measure under the 2026 “Silk Road E-Commerce for the World” campaign, the event showcases cooperation outcomes through policy exchange, business matchmaking, and capacity building, and promotes the formation of a new landscape of global digital cooperation.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of “Silk Road E-Commerce” international cooperation. Over the past decade, China has helped partner countries, 38 in total so far, set up nearly 200 national pavilions online and on-site, and staged more than 100 online capacity-building sessions for e-commerce and close to 1,000 “Silk Road E-Commerce Selection” promotion events. (Released on September 24)