China plays up Alibaba, Shein’s role in promoting cross-border e-commerce at ‘digital silk road’ forum, as exports rise
- Alibaba and Shein are praised for helping advance China’s cross-border e-commerce sector at the Digital Silk Road Development Forum in Xian
- China is increasingly looking to exports to boost its economy, as post-Covid growth remains shaky
China’s tech champions, including online shopping behemoth Alibaba Group Holding and fast-fashion shopping platform Shein, play an important role in facilitating cross-border e-commerce, according to mainland government officials at a major forum promoting Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
At the Digital Silk Road (DSR) Development Forum in Xian, capital of western Shaanxi province, on Tuesday, Alibaba – owner of the South China Morning Post – and Shein were among those named as exemplars of trading platforms that have helped advance the country’s booming cross-border e-commerce sector.
Those platforms have, “through their application of new technologies and exploration of new models, improved operational and service capabilities, pushed for digital upskilling in industries and empowered small and medium enterprises for global operations”, Liang Hao, executive deputy secretary general of the World Internet Conference (WIC), said in a speech.
“[They have] built efficient and collaborative platforms for trading across different countries and regions,” he said.
The DSR forum is co-hosted by the WIC – a Beijing-based agency promoting China’s cyberspace vision – and the Shaanxi government. The DSR initiative was launched in 2015 to incorporate digital elements into BRI – China’s plan to grow global trade – with the aim of boosting digital connectivity.
