During the 2026 APEC Digital Week, guests from around the world participated in a series of site visits in Chengdu, Sichuan, focusing on artificial intelligence and the digital economy.
Over several days, centered on themes like digital intelligence empowerment and innovative development, the guests toured more than ten locations. These included the West China Hospital of Stomatology at Sichuan University, the "Rongshu Park" of Chengdu Data Group, the Chengdu Sci-Tech Innovation Ecological Island, and Sichuan Embodied Humanoid Robot Technology Co., Ltd.
Seizing the opportunity of a national diplomatic event being held in Sichuan, the province showcased its achievements and opportunities in the digital economy and artificial intelligence to the outside world, sparking thought and discussion among the attendees.
What They Observed: The Integration of Data and Intelligence is Accelerating Across All Sectors of Production and Life
"Unbelievable. My peers should all come and see what's happening in a city in western China," praised Jan De Silva, Chair of the APEC Business Advisory Council's Digital Innovation Working Group, during a visit to a Sichuan-based robot manufacturing company.
The admiration stemmed from the vivid examples at each site visited: Sichuan's digital economy and AI are transforming the daily lives of ordinary people. At Chengdu Yuefan Innovation Technology Co., Ltd., guests were curious about the training methods for delivery robots that passed through turnstiles and accurately delivered goods via elevator. At the West China Hospital of Stomatology of Sichuan University, Peter Jen, Co-Chair of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council, could hardly believe his eyes as he simulated a dental correction surgery using virtual imaging generated by spatial computing technology.
Integrated into daily life, the digital economy and AI are quietly generating new drivers of development, changing Sichuan's growth logic. On the production line of Chengdu Co-robot Company, industrial robots assembled electronic components with the speed and precision of skilled workers, even under adverse conditions like high temperatures. At the Dongjiao Memory industrial heritage site, digital cultural creativity has transformed a disused industrial area into a popular attraction housing 340 businesses and receiving 18 million visitors annually. Using digital technology, the Sichuan-produced animated film "Ne Zha 2" sparked a global viewing frenzy, continuously breaking box office records.
A set of statistics had many guests taking out their notebooks: last year, the revenue of Sichuan's AI industry grew by 22.9% year-on-year, with over 1,700 AI-related enterprises clustering in the province. The core digital economy industry in the province comprised over 100,000 corporate entities, employing more than 1.5 million people, with total revenue reaching approximately two trillion yuan. The guests noted that the more than ten sites visited were not a static exhibition of achievements but demonstrated that Sichuan's digital economy and AI development are not abstract concepts or laboratory technical parameters; they are accelerating their penetration into all aspects of production and life, ultimately giving concrete expression to a new chapter of Chinese-style modernization in Sichuan.
Why Sichuan Attracts World-Class AI Companies
The day before the site visits commenced, on July 24th, the Chengdu municipal government formally signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Unitree Robotics for comprehensive collaboration in embodied intelligence R&D, scenario innovation, and data collection. This made Unitree Robotics the fifth leading domestic robotics company to establish a presence in Chengdu, joining UBTECH, Zhiyuan Innovation, Galaxy General, and Xingdong Jishi. Guests were curious: why is Sichuan able to attract these world-class AI companies to set up operations?
The answer from the five leading robotics companies is industrial clustering forming a complete supply chain. Within a two-kilometer radius, an embodied humanoid robot manufacturer can complete over 90% of its parts procurement—a fact that left many visitors astonished. The answer from the Chengdu Sci-Tech Innovation Ecological Island lies in its innovation ecosystem for deep integration of science, technology, and industry. "Here, over a hundred achievements in the digital economy and AI are published online daily, allowing enterprises to connect for collaboration based on their needs," explained a guide during the visit. The main island and its 13 sub-islands have reach across the province, aggregating 215 universities and research institutes and providing access to over 20,000 high-level R&D devices. Now, newly manufactured robots can be validated at high-level experimental platforms like the Tianfu Jiangxi Laboratory Robot Training Technology Innovation Center and the Chengdu Humanoid Robot Innovation Center before entering the market. The guests were impressed by the complete supporting ecosystem from R&D and manufacturing to experimental validation.
Furthermore, Sichuan's resource endowment and computing infrastructure are key advantages. "Where does this data come from?" "Can Sichuan's computing power meet the demand?" During the visit to the "Rongshu Park" of Chengdu Data Group, guests' questions were answered. As a critical node in the national "East Data, West Computing" project, Chengdu has built 14 large-scale and ultra-large-scale computing facilities capable of performing 300 billion billion operations per second. This gives Sichuan an irreplicable resource advantage in hosting AI computing clusters and deploying long-term large model industries. The guests concluded that Sichuan's ability to leverage its resource advantages effectively, creating a full-chain industrial ecosystem connecting the "computing infrastructure, data elements, model R&D, and scenario application," is the primary reason for its leading position in AI and the digital economy, and offers the most valuable lessons for APEC members.
Envisioning Opportunities: Some Want to Take 'Sichuan-Made' Products, Others Want to Introduce Their Technologies
"We are holding nothing back." During the visits, whether at companies or laboratories, guests often heard this statement. This open and inclusive attitude deeply moved the participants, leading to collisions of collaborative opportunities. Some guests wanted to take the Sichuan model abroad. At the West China Hospital of Stomatology, guests lingered for a long time in front of the "West China Solution," including the integrated platform for digital and intelligent stomatology, turning the visit site into a cooperative negotiation venue. After personally experiencing the transformation brought by international land port logistics data application exchange, many foreign guests immediately asked for the contact information of relevant officials from the Chengdu International Railway Port. At robot manufacturing companies, some foreign guests inquired about functions and prices, stating that such products are urgently needed in their home countries. Others wanted to introduce technologies from other member economies to Sichuan. During a visit to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, a foreign guest promoted New Zealand's "virtual fencing" technology to provide captive giant pandas with larger activity spaces.
Turning the exhibition stage into an opportunity for cooperation stems from Sichuan's demonstrated friendly and open posture. This posture was evident throughout the entire Digital Week. On July 23rd, the APEC Digital and AI Ministerial Meeting reviewed and adopted the "2026 APEC Digital and AI Ministerial Statement (Chengdu Statement)." In this statement, APEC members, for the first time, elevated "open source" to the level of ministerial cooperation, sending a clear signal for openness and cooperation. Subsequently, three long-term industrial cooperation mechanisms were launched: the APEC Computing Power Interconnection Alliance, the Cross-border Digital Intellectual Property Protection Platform, and the Micro and Small Digital Trade Special Fund. These mechanisms aim to build online and offline channels for technology matching, project implementation, and trade cooperation among Asia-Pacific enterprises.
This summer, Sichuan is experiencing a wave of heat and enthusiasm, mirrored by the passionate site visits during the Digital Week. The dynamic production lines, bustling cultural and creative scenic spots, and popular cultural products all left an indelible impression on the guests. As LESLIE DINA PASSALACQUA WALTER, the President of the Retail and Distribution Enterprises Association of the Lima Chamber of Commerce from Peru, stated, "Chengdu inherits its local culture while embracing modern technology. I can imagine the future development here."
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