Illustration: Liu Xidan/GT

The first China (Zhejiang) Cross-Border E-Commerce Import and Export Fair is being held from Tuesday to Thursday at the Yiwu International Expo Center. The fair brings together more than 1,000 domestic and international e-commerce platforms, service providers, and source factories from more than 20 countries and regions, according to a release from Yiwu Fabu, the city's official WeChat account, on Monday.

The fast-paced progress of digital trade in Yiwu - the opening of the digital trade center and hosting of the first cross border e-commerce expo - in recent months exemplifies the broader acceleration of China's cross-border e-commerce and digital trade in 2025, highlighting emerging opportunities for Chinese and foreign businesses to engage in global buying and selling.

As digital and artificial intelligence technologies increasingly empower cross-border trade, China's digital trade and cross-border e-commerce are gaining momentum. China's digital trade exports surged 10.7 percent year-on-year to $793.7 billion in 2024, helping steer the global digital trade landscape toward greater diversity and balance, according to the Global Digital Trade Development Report 2025, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

In recent months, Yiwu, East China's Zhejiang Province, a key hub of international trade, has provided a valuable window for observing why China's trade digitalization has suddenly accelerated and how it benefits various stakeholders, offering new momentum for economic growth.

One key reason China's digital trade is accelerating is its development of digital trade infrastructure. The country has ramped up efforts in digital trade centers, logistics hubs, and smart customs systems, enabling faster processing of both digital and physical goods. Platforms support digital payments, reducing costs for businesses. A notable example is Yiwu's Digital Trade Center, which provides a concrete illustration of how infrastructure is driving the rapid growth and global integration of China's digital trade.

Another driver of China's accelerating digital trade is rising global demand. Chinese consumers are increasingly purchasing foreign products through digital platforms, while Chinese producers export goods through cross-border e-commerce channels. This model allows global small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to access China's fast-growing consumer market without relying on traditional distributor networks, boosting international participation in China's digital trade. The first cross-border e-commerce expo in Yiwu exemplifies this trend, attracting leading international platforms such as Alibaba.com, Amazon, Lazada, Wildberries, and other major cross-border e-commerce players.

From a business perspective, China's accelerating digital trade brings big benefits to global businesses and improves trade efficiency. By making it easier for foreign companies to reach Chinese consumers via cross-border e-commerce, businesses can tap into one of the world's fastest-growing consumer markets without needing a physical presence in China. Meanwhile, China's digital trade infrastructure - including smart customs, digital payments, and logistics - reduces transaction costs and speeds up deliveries, making trade smoother and more efficient.

Some cross-border companies report massive efficiency gains. For example, one Shenzhen exporter said that via livestreaming and cross-border e-commerce, it landed a $3 million order in just three days, something that would have been very hard to do through traditional trade channels, according to Xinhua.

The development of China's digital trade and cross-border e-commerce sector will continue to facilitate global trade and encourage multilateral cooperation. Amid a global trade environment challenged by tariffs and other disruptions, it has played, and will continue to play, a positive role in enhancing the resilience of the world economy, becoming an important driving force in the international trade landscape.

China's active engagement in fostering global digital trade and supply chain collaboration positions it as a key driver of the international digital economy. By promoting cooperation, aligning standards, and facilitating innovation across borders, China's efforts - including cross-border e-commerce expos - are helping to build a more resilient, inclusive, and interconnected global economic system. 

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. bizopinion@globaltimes.com.cn