As a charming plush sheep doll has gone viral on Chinese short-video platforms in recent weeks, merchants in Yiwu are busy meeting surging demand thanks to the city's highly integrated and flexible supply chain.
The handcrafted sheep dolls, dressed in colorful attire, have been a must-buy souvenir in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
While the toy draws inspiration from Xinjiang, it is officially authorized and mass-produced in Yiwu City, east China's Zhejiang Province, China's renowned small commodities hub.
The doll's explosive popularity has not only boosted sales of the plush toys themselves but has also driven strong demand for related accessories such as shoes, hats, and gemstone pendants.
In recent days, the toy section of Yiwu International Trade City has been bustling with buyers from across China and abroad rushing to secure bulk orders.
"[Domestic] buyers from Xinjiang came, and yesterday we even had buyers from Kazakhstan. They wanted to buy this sheep doll, with orders starting from 10,000 pieces," said Lou Zhenxian, a shop owner.
To keep up with the surging demand, merchants have been busy decorating and finishing dolls on the spot.
"We make one and sell one. I've been so busy my hands feel like they're about to catch fire," said Zhou Jiahuan, a shop assistant.
Gu Huijie, an accessories seller, quickly spotted the trend and immediately mobilized her team to produce matching accessory sets for the viral doll.
"Our design, production, and operations departments held a meeting. As soon as we decided to make this product, we started sourcing materials and working on designs and patterns throughout the night," said Gu Huijie, a shop owner.
Yiwu plush toy makers capitalize on viral 'Xinjiang sheep' doll craze
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday that despite having a different view, he granted the permission for signing a peace memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Tehran and Washington.
He made the remarks in a message addressed to Iran's people, which was carried by Iranian media, hours after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, signed the MoU on ending the war.
Khamenei said the officials in charge made extensive efforts out of "sincere concern and goodwill" in the course of reaching this stage, adding, "Of course, it was the American president who, out of desperation, used all kinds of leverages to bring this about."
He stressed, "I, as a matter of principle, hold a different view; However, out of the commitment that the esteemed president -- as the head of the Supreme National Security Council -- gave to me on his own behalf and on behalf of the other members regarding the safeguarding of the rights of the lranian nation and the Resistance Front, and his explicit acceptance of that responsibility, I granted my permission."
Khamenei added that Pezeshkian and other SNSC members had also stated that if the United States seeks to make "excessive demands," they will not submit to them.
He emphasized that from this moment on, he and the "proud" Iranian nation will wait for the realization of the conditions set by Iran under the MoU, noting, however, that "the in-person negotiations that will take place in the future will not mean acceptance of the enemy's position."
Iran, the United States and Pakistan early Monday announced the finalization of the MoU to end the war on all fronts, including Lebanon. The Iranian and U.S. presidents signed the MoU electronically early Thursday.
On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the region.
Iran's supreme leader says granted permission for MoU with U.S. despite having different view
