As competition intensifies among China's e-commerce giants during this year's "Double Eleven" shopping festival, many are turning to the emerging Hong Kong e-commerce market, investing heavily to expand their businesses.
Originally launched by Alibaba on Nov 11, 2009, the "Double Eleven" shopping spree has evolved into one of China's largest online sales events, with e-commerce platforms offering steep discounts to encourage consumer spending.
Alibaba, which operates Taobao, a leading e-commerce platform in China, announced in late September its plan to invest one billion yuan (about 139 million U.S. dollars) to offer free shipping in Hong Kong. The policy offers free delivery on orders over 99 yuan (about 14 U.S. dollars).
Another key player, JD.com, revealed a similar initiative, announcing an initial investment of 1.5 billion yuan (about 208 million U.S. dollars) in Hong Kong for product subsidies, logistics support and service upgrades.
"Data released by the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government shows that, the e-commerce penetration rate in Hong Kong remained below 10 percent in the first seven months of this year," said Lao Guoling, director of the e-commerce research institute at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.
The initial move to offer free shipping is a key strategy to attract more customers, but the success of this initiative will ultimately depend on the development of efficient logistics networks, though optimizing these systems is likely to take considerable time.
"The supportive infrastructure and services will gradually improve, and once the first step is taken, the rest will follow. This is why I believe that taking that initial step holds even greater significance," said Lao.
She further emphasized that expanding into Hong Kong offers valuable learning opportunities for platforms in the mainland.
"We can apply our proven e-commerce experience while piloting in Hong Kong, benefiting people there. Meanwhile, the e-commerce operation rules and other aspects may also provide e-commerce platforms with more opportunities to practice," she said.
China’s e-commerce giants target Hong Kong market for growth
China's push toward a greener future is once again in the spotlight at this year's annual political "two sessions", as lawmakers are reviewing a draft ecological environment code, a significant step toward establishing a comprehensive legal framework for ecological protection.
The draft code was submitted on March 5 to the ongoing fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, for deliberation.
Once adopted, it will become China's second formal statutory code, after the Civil Code, which was adopted in 2020.
The rule of law has been continuously strengthened to support the country's green progress. China already has more than 30 laws related to environmental protection, along with over 100 sets of administrative regulations and more than 1,000 sets of local rules.
The latest legislative move comes amid China's historic gains in ecological conservation over the past decade or so. Championing green development, the country has recorded the world's fastest growth in forest resources and afforestation, led globally in renewable energy development, and achieved one of the fastest national reductions in energy intensity worldwide.
The 1,242-article draft has five chapters, covering areas including pollution control, ecological protection, and green and low-carbon development.
Scholars involved in drafting the legislation say the code goes beyond broad legal principles. It is also designed to address environmental issues that affect people's daily lives.
"Electric vehicles are becoming very common in China. My family has one. We all think it environment-friendly. But have you ever thought about this question: how do we deal with the first generation of EV batteries after they expire a few years later? The same goes for wind turbine blades and solar panels," said Ding Lin, assistant professor of the Renmin University of China.
China's environmental progress has drawn global attention in recent years, from improving air quality to expanding renewable energy. Yet amid geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty, some observers have questioned whether the country will maintain the same pace of green transition.
"Last year during the COP30, even some friends who are very familiar with China asked me whether China will continue its green development path. I told them we have gradually worked out new policies. We have a very clear direction and goal. In a world full of uncertainties, we are providing the most certainty," said Wang Yi, an NPC deputy from east China's Zhejiang Province and professor of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
In a country pursuing modernization, taking the time to codify environmental laws sends a clear message: economic growth and environmental protection are not a trade-off to be managed, but a commitment to be upheld. For China, a beautiful environment is not a luxury for the future, it is a right for the present, and a responsibility to the next generation.
"This code reflects China's vision of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. It shows how development and environmental protection can move forward together," said Lyu Zhongmei, vice chair of the NPC Environmental Protection and Resources Conservation Committee.
China will accelerate the green transition across the board and cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of the GDP by a total of 17 percent in the 2026-2030 period, according to a draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) for national economic and social development submitted to the NPC for deliberation on March 5.
Chinese lawmakers review draft ecological environment code in major green legislative push
