China's live-streaming economy has surged during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021–2025), with over 833 million users and nearly 5 trillion yuan (about 705 billion U.S.) in e-commerce transactions.
Evolving from an erstwhile niche entertainment format to a mature industry -- and now expanding overseas to captivate global audiences -- live streaming has become a strong catalyst for the country's robust economic growth.
In China, live-streaming permeates nearly every facet of life. From street food vendors to scenic attractions, from farms to factories, and from villages to cities, it spans shopping, education, gaming, fitness, performances, and beyond.
Today, live-streaming has transformed into a pillar industry in the country, emerging far beyond as mere entertainment. How did it evolve from a niche pastime into a cornerstone of the economy? The answer lies in the word "SPEED," an acronym capturing the key drivers of its rapid growth.
First comes "S" for strategy. The communique of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee calls for advancing the Digital China Initiative. As a strategy also outlined in the 14th Five-Year Plan, it emphasizes the development of the digital economy.
Guided by the initiative, central and local governments have rolled out tailored policies for e-commerce and live-commerce, building live-streaming hubs, offering policy incentives and subsidizing qualified enterprises. Meanwhile, China's rural revitalization strategy has spurred the development of county-level live-streaming e-commerce industrial bases. Over the past five years, the number of live-streaming users has doubled to 833 million in 2024.
Next is "P" for platform. Major e-commerce platforms in China are actively expanding the live-streaming sector, deeply integrating content with live-streaming to connect merchants and consumers.
These platforms rely on China's network of over 4.6 million 5G base stations and extensive fiber-optic infrastructure to deliver high-speed connectivity. Enhanced by 4K streaming and artificial intelligence, they offer immersive live-streaming experiences, underpinned by the nation's robust digital infrastructure.
For consumers, they can find good deals via live-streaming, present questions to live-streamers, and obtain detailed product information. After they place orders online, they can have their packages delivered to their doorstep in a few days, or sometimes even hours.
All these benefit from a mature nationwide ecosystem: a national network of logistics and cold-chain centers has slashed delivery times to one to three days, even in rural areas, enabling swift distribution of fresh products. Supported by this system, China's express delivery volume reached over 174 billion parcels in 2024.
"E" in SPEED stands for engagement. "Engagement" isn't just about interactions between streamers and audiences. More notably, an increasing number of young people are participating in rural live-streaming, injecting vitality into rural economy.
Vocational schools have introduced programs focused on live-streaming e-commerce, equipping professionals to drive industry growth. Meanwhile, intangible cultural heritage has also been promoted via such digital means, giving the public wider access to education and healthcare services.
Lastly, "D" represents global distribution. China's live-streaming e-commerce has gone far beyond its domestic market to expand globally. From Southeast Asia to North America, Chinese streamers are bringing various products to global consumers.
The global live-streaming e-commerce market holds vast untapped potential, with China's development model offering valuable experience for the world. Back in 2016, live-streaming e-commerce was launched on the platform of Taobao, an e-commerce giant in China, building on the "Internet Plus" strategy outlined in the country's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016–2020). This initiative accelerated the development of information infrastructure, laying the foundation for modern internet industries. A decade later, the live-streaming economy in China has scaled new heights.
Today, as China works hard to build its strength in cyberspace in the next five years, there is every reason to believe a future rich with opportunities is unfolding.
China's live-streaming boom fuels economic growth
China's live-streaming boom fuels economic growth
