Many foreigners in China have joined live streaming platforms based in south China's Hainan Province to promote Chinese products to global audiences, capitalizing on new opportunities offered by the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP).
China on Thursday launched the island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan FTP, the world's largest FTP by area, allowing freer entry of overseas goods, expanding zero-tariff coverage and more business-friendly measures.
China approved a plan in April this year for island-wide efforts to establish a comprehensive pilot zone for cross-border e-commerce in the province.
Encouraged by the plan and various favorable FTP policies, companies have been flocking to Hainan's various cross-border live-streaming bases.
Within a few months, the companies pioneered a new marketing model combining foreign live streamers with cross-border e-commerce, in which the streamers not only serve as ambassadors for Chinese products, but also act as vital bridges connecting China with international markets, fostering trade exchanges and cultural mutual learning.
Xiaomei, a 25-year-old Moroccan, came to China because of her fascination with ancient Chinese architecture. She graduated from a Chinese university in July. Three months later, she moved to Hainan to join a cross-border live-streaming company.
Thanks to the fast-track channel established by Hainan for attracting international talent to the live-streaming industry, she obtained her work permit within days.
"Hainan, this is why I moved here, it is still a place they want to improve it more in China, and to show people that there are so many opportunities here," she told reporters in a recent interview.
Since the base began operations in September, the cross-border e-commerce company where Xiaomei works has helped over 100 manufacturers export their products overseas. The categories covered by its live stream promotion has expanded from consumer goods like apparel, cultural products, and electronics to industrial products such as automotive parts.
"We will leverage our live video streaming platform to help Chinese brands step by step reach international audiences and gain visibility among more consumers," said the company's general manager Xie Wenyu. Policy benefits are steadily translating into robust investment momentum on the island. With the introduction of measures such as employment facilitation for foreign live streamers, accelerated cross-border logistics and tax incentives, cross-border e-commerce enterprises are flocking to establish operations across Hainan's various cross-border live streaming bases.
"[Since June this year,] over 100 enterprises have signed contracts with our service platform. Among them, more than 20 companies had already achieved overseas warehouse shipments and completed business transactions by November. Additionally, over 50 [industrial and agricultural] enterprises from Chinese mainland have registered their export trading companies in Hainan through our platform. This demonstrated our ecosystem's highly positive role in driving China's industrial and agricultural supply chains to expand globally through Hainan," said Wang Huan, director of the industrial research institute under the Hainan Cross-Border E-Commerce Association. The Hainan FTP is creating unprecedented opportunities for cross-border live streaming e-commerce, transforming the island into a land of promise brimming with potential for newcomers like Xiaomei. To the world, Hainan is emerging as a vital window showcasing the competitiveness of Chinese products and allure of the Chinese culture.
"Actually we are already showing them the things that they need, [they] most needed, but now, I want to focus on product related to culture and tourism. And now I'm exploring Hainan also, so I want people to come here and explore it," said Xiaomei.
Foreign live streamers boost cross-border e-commerce development in Hainan in south China
