Cross-border e-commerce has connected Chinese products with global consumers, from the tropical shores of Hainan Island in south China to the bustling border crossings of Heilongjiang Province in the far northeastern reaches of the country.
At a cross-border e-commerce agency in Haikou, Hainan Province, foreign host Jim from Pakistan is passionately promoting Hainan's unique products to global customers. After coming to China 13 years ago for his studies, Jim chose to stay. Over the past few years, he has astutely seized opportunities presented by surging demand for Chinese goods in overseas markets.
"Foreigners generally love Hainan's coconut products, such as coconut water. The most popular ones are the traditional clothes from the Li and Miao ethnic groups, the traditional products," said Jim.
The head of the cross-border e-commerce agency reported that they have established partnerships with over 1,000 overseas hosts. Through short videos and live streams, they have blended Hainan's intangible cultural heritage, tropical tourism resources, cosmetics, home goods, and specialty agricultural products for distribution to overseas markets. Their monthly sales have soared past 3.47 million yuan (about 496,000 U.S. dollars).
"Viewership for each session ranges from 10,000 to 30,000. Currently, we are experiencing a phase of significant growth," said Ruan Ningfu, head of the cross-border e-commerce agency.
In Suifenhe, a city in Heilongjiang Province, bustling international trade enterprises are busy processing a steady stream of new orders. Local companies specializing in clothing, electronics, and more are leveraging cross-border e-commerce platforms to connect with overseas markets.
"Our sales have been particularly strong this year, with a growth rate of around 30 percent. Chinese products are especially popular among Russian consumers," said Zhang Baoxin, cross-border e-commerce operations manager at Jutong International Trade Co., Ltd.
At the international cross-border e-commerce regulatory site in Suifenhe, staff diligently sorted cross-border packages, preparing them for shipment to consumers abroad.
"Online shopping for foreigners is becoming quicker and more convenient. Our company can reliably handle 80,000 cross-border packages daily, with peak seasons like 'Double 12' seeing daily orders exceed 300,000," said Wang Fakui, chairman of Suifenhe Financial Investment Group Co., Ltd.
Cross-border e-commerce helps Chinese products reach more global consumers
The recent 2026 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) Annual Conference in Beijing has impressed international guests with its focus on deeper integration of technological and industrial innovation, highlighting how China's innovative advances are reshaping daily life.
The five-day forum, themed "Full Integration Between Technological and Industrial Innovation," wrapped up in Chinese capital on Sunday after bringing together more than 1,000 participants from over 100 countries and regions around the world.
More than 560 cutting-edge achievements were unveiled at the event, ranging from embodied intelligent robots and brain-computer interfaces to breakthroughs in quantum applications and 6G research and development.
The venue for the forum also showcased a number of these innovative creations to visitors, who were able to enjoy a fresh cup of coffee prepared by a humanoid barista, as well as be throughly entertained by robots performing dances or even playing piano.
Given the presence of these advanced humanoid robots, international participants shared the common view that innovation is no longer confined to laboratories but is now permeating every aspect of daily life.
"The deepest impression is actually to see how much AI is across everywhere," said Anders Karlsson, vice president of Elsevier, a global leader providing advanced information and decision support to accelerate progress in science and healthcare worldwide.
"The Zhongguancun Forum has become a very international window on innovation. We can find out annually how innovation is driving [and a key] component of growth of this wonderful country," said Vincenzo Lipardi, president and co-founder of SPICI, an Italian company assisting businesses and startups with strategic consulting services.
"As a scientist and as a worker of the United Nations system, I'm really pleased to see integration of science, technology and sustainability," said Shahbaz Khan, director of the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia.
One of the forum's key themes was around opening up and striving for greater cooperation, which demonstrated to the wider world that China's innovation aims to break down barriers and share opportunities, so as to enable the global community to advance together.
"It's my first time attending the forum. And I'm very surprised that you have a very high level of innovation. China is open to ideas. Openness is the way to make innovations," said Prof. Hussein Sherief, a member of the International Committee for Scientific and Technical Data (CODATA).
Int'l guests hail integration of technology, innovation at Beijing forum
