Licensed merchandise tied to Disney's blockbuster animated hit "Zootopia 2" is flying off the shelves in Yiwu, a city in east China's Zhejiang Province known as "the world's supermarket", with high-demand items already facing back orders amid surging consumer interest.
The plush toy section at the Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center has become a major draw. An array of officially licensed dolls portraying characters like Officer Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are prominently displayed, attracting crowds of buyers and visitors to the world's largest wholesale hub for small commodities. "I've just seen Zootopia 2 in the theater. I'm here to buy some keychains and bags as gifts for my friends and colleagues," said Wang Li, a local shopper.
For cross-border business operators, the film's success has translated into robust export orders.
"I'm running an overseas e-commerce shop, and came specifically to purchase merchandise like Zootopia plush toys, bags and keychains. This is my fourth procurement trip here this month," said Gulinaizair Kurban, a cross-border e-commerce buyer based in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
Upon learning of the sequel's production last year, Yiwu vendor Bao Niya promptly began negotiations with business partners to secure licensing rights and place advance orders.
"We've been in the licensed IP (intellectual property business) for over a decade. For a major franchise like Zootopia, we placed orders with factories four months ahead, tripling or even quadrupling our usual purchasing volume. Sales of related merchandise have risen about 30 percent compared to last month, and we now carry over 150 SKUs (stock keeping unit) across categories such as plush toys, keychains, and bags," Bao said.
E-commerce data underscores the consumption boom. On one of China's largest online platforms JD.com, searches for "Zootopia" jumped 225 percent in the film's opening week, with sales in the toy and musical instrument category soaring 670 percent week-over-week.
Huang Changchao, president of the Yiwu Cultural Goods Association, noted that changing consumer trends are driving this growth.
"Today, consumer attitudes in China are undergoing rapid transformation, with emotional value and IP-empowered products gaining particular prominence. For instance, a standard pen selling for 4 to 5 yuan (0.6 to 0.7 U.S. dollar) can yield a 20 percent to 30 percent profit increase with a popular IP. Over the past year, licensed IPs have driven over 100 million yuan in additional sales for Yiwu's cultural goods sector," he explained.
Zootopia 2 global craze fuels order surge at "world's supermarket"
The Ecological and Environmental Code solidifies China's successful reform experiences in the form of law, transforming ecological conservation into a long-term national goal for the sustainable development of the Chinese nation, said a member of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) on Thursday.
Chinese lawmakers voted to adopt the Ecological and Environmental Code at the closing meeting of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress in Beijing earlier in the day.
Lyu Zhongmei, also vice chair of the NPC Environmental Protection and Resources Conservation Committee, who first proposed the drafting of the code, said in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) that the adoption of the code represents a milestone in transforming the country's successful reform policies into a stable legal framework, with profound implications on both national ecological governance and people's daily lives.
"I think this actually sends a very strong signal to the world. Many of our past achievements in ecological civilization system reform were reflected through policies, with numerous reform measures introduced. This time, we are institutionalizing the successful experience of those reforms in the form of law, the most authoritative and stable way to solidify them. This shows that our efforts are not just a one-off campaign. Rather, ecological and environmental protection and the building of an ecological civilization are national goals that reflect the people’s aspiration for a better life and serve the ultimate purpose of ensuring the sustainable development of the Chinese nation," said Lyu.
Lyu highlighted that the code directly enshrines China's greenhouse gas pledge and dual-carbon goals into law, demonstrating the country's concrete actions to fulfill its international responsibilities and uphold its image as a responsible major country.
"We have directly written the commitment to fully meet greenhouse gas targets into the code, and incorporated pledges to use the 'dual carbon' goals as a driving force to advance a comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. I think this reflects our concrete actions to honor our commitments and take responsibility to the international community, demonstrating China’s image as a responsible major country," she said.
On the topic of global trade, she explained how the code will help safeguard China's interests.
"On the one hand, we are raising standards for the green and low-carbon transition and adopting market-based measures. Some of the standards we have established based on China's actual situation and the methodologies we have created can contribute China's experience and expertise to the world. On the other hand, the Ecological and Environmental Code also includes provisions on extraterritorial application and establishes China’s own system of environmental protection standards," Lyu said.
Looking to the future, she discussed the code's role in the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).
"During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, I believe our ecological and environmental protection will undergo fundamental changes. In the past, it relied more on strict administrative enforcement and control. But now, while not lowering strict control standards or reducing strict control measures, we must also introduce more incentive-based measures. Strict regulation will push enterprises to transform and encourage them to pursue environmental protection. The code will provide a clear, long-term and stable norm. In my view, the Ecological and Environmental Code is not only a 'tightening band' that constrains corporate behavior, but also an 'engine' that opens up new tracks for enterprises’ future development," she said.
China's ecological environmental code represents milestone in environmental rule of law
