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With a simple voice command like "Order 40 cups of milk tea," an AI assistant springs into action, instantly generating the order and completing payment, all done seamlessly.

This is a latest example of the new AI shopping service recently launched by Alibaba, reflecting how digital technologies are reshaping e-commerce models in China, accelerating the integration of online platforms with real-world services, and placing greater demands on system coordination and efficiency.

As industry rapidly evolves, multiple government departments including China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released joint guiding opinions on Monday on better serving the real economy and promoting high-quality development of e-commerce, highlighting areas such as "AI-powered e-commerce" and the promotion of "cross-border e-commerce."

The guidance came as China's e-commerce industry plays an ever-growing role in the country's real economy. In recent years, China's e-commerce sector has boomed, maintaining its position as the world's largest online retail market for 13 consecutive years. It encompasses 26 million domestic businesses and serves 3.2 billion consumers worldwide, said MOFCOM, noting that the rapid integration of online and offline channels has increasingly proven its effectiveness in promoting the high-quality development of the real economy.

The high-quality development of e-commerce would help promote a higher level of openness, allowing domestic and foreign companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises, to jointly build and share in China's vast e-commerce market, experts said.

Tech empowers development

Monday's opinions, jointly released by six government departments, highlighted several areas for strengthening the e-commerce sector. In particular, the development of "AI-powered e-commerce" and the promotion of "cross-border e-commerce" were emphasized, further clarifying the development path for e-commerce in China's high-quality development.

According to the opinions, the government will support leading e-commerce companies in increasing R&D investment, strengthening core technology research in key areas, and building an innovation ecosystem that integrates industry, research, and practical application.

On a further note, the development of "AI + e-commerce" will be encouraged, guiding e-commerce companies to advance R&D and application of technologies such as large AI models to optimize consumer experiences, reduce operating costs, and improve circulation efficiency.

The opinions hold significant meaning as they further underscore the government's focus on the e-commerce industry and outline the directions for future support, Li Changan, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies at the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times on Monday. 

On the technological front, the policy emphasizes the application of "AI + e-commerce", promoting the transformation of e-commerce from a simple trading platform to a more intelligent and efficient circulation system, the expert said.

"AI will be deeply applied in e-commerce areas like product selection, pricing, inventory, and supply chain, guiding decisions to reduce costs and improve efficiency, especially for small and medium enterprises," Li said.

Progress has already been made in the field. In 2025, China's major e-commerce platforms had an R&D intensity exceeding 8 percent, and China's cloud computing and big data service revenue grew by 13.6 percent, becoming a new driver for developing modern productive forces, according to an official with the E-Commerce Department of MOFCOM on Monday, highlighting the latest achievements and potential of technology-enabled e-commerce development.

"AI + e-commerce" has already found ground in some major platforms. For example, the Qianwen app announced in January full integration with Alibaba ecosystem services, including Taobao, Alipay, Taobao Flash Sale, Fliggy, and Amap, becoming one of the first to enable AI-powered functions such as food delivery, online shopping, and flight booking, while opening the service for public testing to all users, according to the press release that Alibaba shared with the Global Times.

Another example of AI gaining a foothold in e-commerce is in backend data analysis. Platforms like Meituan and Dianping, popular city-guide and review services similar to Yelp in China, were among the first to deploy AI agents to assist human reviewers, leveraging digitized real-world information as an "information foundation" to improve the detection of fake reviews, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Going global

At the same time, the guiding opinions also clarified policies supporting e-commerce going global. According to the opinions, the government will develop guidelines for overseas expansion and support qualified regions in building compliant cross-border e-commerce service platforms based on overseas integrated service systems.

The opinions also encourage e-commerce companies to register trademarks, apply for patents, and develop their own brands abroad to enhance compliance.

According to MOFCOM, China's 36 "Silk Road E‑commerce" partner countries currently span all five continents, with cross-border e‑commerce accounting for over 6 percent of total goods trade. Open cooperation continues to deepen, driving employment to 79 million and boosting express delivery volumes by 13.6 percent, highlighting the growing ripple effects of the initiative, said the ministry.

Hu Qimu, a deputy secretary-general of the Forum 50 for Digital-Real Economies Integration, told the Global Times on Monday that the significance of e-commerce going global lies in upgrading traditional goods-centered foreign trade into a new trade model supported by digital platforms and supply chains.

Through cross-border e-commerce, overseas warehouses, and digital logistics systems, companies can reach global consumers more directly, shorten transaction chains, and improve distribution efficiency, Hu said.

More importantly, the guidance reflects China's efforts to upgrade its trade model from traditional goods exports to a digital and supply chain-driven ecosystem, Hu said, noting that "it enables consumers worldwide to access high-quality, cost-effective Chinese goods more conveniently, while allowing overseas products to enter the Chinese market through e-commerce, contributing to a more open and inclusive global trade system."