From Ancient Capital to New Digital Silk Road Hub: The 7th Western Digital Economy Expo Sees Xi’an’s Industrial Integration Unleash Strong Momentum

XI’AN, China, July 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Under the theme “Digital Convergence Revitalizes the Silk Road, Smart Innovation Shapes the West’s Future,” the 7th Western Digital Economy Expo (WDEE Expo) has successfully concluded in the ancient capital of Xi’an on June 28.

The expo brought together delegations from Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, and other countries, as well as government and enterprise representatives from over 30 Chinese cities and 119 leading digital economy companies. The event facilitated the signing of 34 key projects, marking a new record in the expo’s history.

This year’s WDEE Expo has introduced the “Digital Economy Enterprise Going Global” exchange event for the first time, demonstrating that Xi’an has moved beyond the traditional role of facilitating industrial transfer and is actively exporting digital capabilities. The event released the “Silk Road Cross-Border Data Flow and Operations White Paper” providing practical guidance for standardized digital trade among Belt and Road partner countries. In addition, the signing of “GEO Industry Standard Self-Regulatory Convention” further consolidated the foundation for the compliant development of cross-border digital businesses.

As a key hub for the digital economy in western China, Xi’an is accelerating the construction of an open and shared digital ecosystem. In 2025, core digital economy industries above the designated size reached 129 billion yuan (9.28% of GDP).

Infrastructure has been reinforced through five new‑infrastructure initiatives covering networks, cloud, computing, data, and security, to support government‑enterprise collaboration and public services.

Xi’an drives digital growth through scenario‑based openness, releasing 303 application requirements across smart tourism, XR, new energy, and more. The city has built technology centers for open-source chip, AI algorithms, and industrial software, forging industrial chain clusters from R&D to large‑scale deployment.

In Xi’an, a robust enterprise ecosystem has been established through echelon building, white‑list institutional arrangements, and innovation funds, attracting industry leaders like Huawei and JD.com while nurturing specialized SMEs, creating a balanced environment where enterprises of all sizes thrive together.

As Xi’an advances its vision of becoming a hub for digital technology innovation, a launchpad for next-generation digital products and applications, and a thriving ecosystem for the integrated growth of digital enterprises, the city warmly invites partners from across the global big data, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence value chains to join as its “City Partners.”

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