Multiple foreign leaders have been visiting Zhejiang in quick succession—what are they focusing on?
Zhejiang has been frequently welcoming visits from foreign leaders, with robots, the digital economy, and green development becoming the focus See how Zhejiang is driving industrial upgrading through openness and cooperation, attracting a stream of visiting dignitaries from many countries
Since the beginning of this year, Zhejiang has frequently welcomed visits from leaders of multiple countries. On June 2, Thongloun Sisoulith, General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and President of Laos, arrived in Hangzhou and began a state visit; earlier, German Chancellor Merz, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz, and Serbian President Vučić also visited Zhejiang in succession.
Reports show that foreign leaders focus on different priorities in Zhejiang, but robots, smart manufacturing, the digital economy, green development, and industrial cooperation are common themes. Thongloun visited a robotics company in Hangzhou and learned about green development experience in Yucun Village, Anji; Merz inspected a robotics company and Siemens Energy's Hangzhou plant in Germany; Shehbaz attended the ChinaPakistan Investment Summit and, together with Chinese and foreign companies, sought cooperation opportunities in multiple fields.
The article argues that Zhejiang has become a "frequent destination" for foreign guests visiting China because of its explorations in artificial intelligence, highend manufacturing, open cooperation, and ecological development. For some developing countries, it can provide experience in digitalization and industrial upgrading; for developed economies such as Germany, the focus is more on technological complementarity and cooperation in future industries.