1、ion into regional value chains, and technological transfer and know-how. SMEs comprise 95% of the private sector in Asia, employing nearly 80% of the workforce. They play a critical role in the regions economy and growth. Despite the fact that the regions least developed countries (LDCs) represent a
2、 very small share of Chinas imports, less than 0.5%, there is a tremendous potential for this to grow in the future, with China representing a strategic market for expediting their integration into regional and international value chains and taking advantage of both their geographical proximity and
3、preferential market access conditions. Virtual selling is particularly appropriate for SMEs in connecting to customers, avoiding costly intermediation and earning greater returns on their sales. This publication reviews the context of e-commerce development in China and identifies what Asian firms n
4、eed to tap into that market. One lesson is the efficiency and consequent competitiveness achieved in China, as a result of small enterprises working together. Boosted by government investment and assisted by private-sector partners, including Alibaba and its subsidiaries, clusters of firms share vit
5、al infrastructure like logistics platforms and e-payment solutions, and cooperate on procedures for customs and duties. From setting up e-commerce business to international payments, logistics and aftersales activities, the publication outlines options for policymakers and businesses in the region t
6、o market goods to these new and demanding e-commerce customers. Working with Alibaba, ITC aims to facilitate improved access to e-commerce markets in China for SMEs in Asia and beyond. Together, ITC and Alibaba will continue to study the opportunities and challenges outlined in this paper to develop
7、 market insights and appropriate solutions for SMEs. The ITC-Alibaba partnership will aim to get SMEs onto this digital market using the lessons of the Chinese story. Arancha Gonzlez, Executive Director, International Trade Centre E-COMMERCE IN CHINA: OPPORTUNITIES FOR ASIAN FIRMS iv OAP-16-24.E Ali
8、baba Group Foreword Since the turn of the 21st century, with the rapid development of Internet technology and cross-border e-commerce around the world, international trade players and trade patterns have been undergoing major changes. These changes have promoted the inclusive development of the worl
9、d economy and international trade, and provided historic opportunities for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Thanks to cross-border e-commerce, an increasing number of SMEs and online merchants have begun to stand on the same starting line as large enterprises and to enjo
10、y direct access to global markets. At the same time, numerous enterprises have been shifting from offline trade to online trade. The share of cross-border e-commerce in international trade, including business-to-business and business-to-consumer e-commerce, is increasing rapidly, and data are becomi
11、ng a new driver of trade growth and economic development. In fact, cross-border e-commerce is creating a revolution in the global economy and global trade, drastically reducing the costs of trade and removing obstacles to bilateral trade, leading the sector into a borderless digital market. Cross-bo
12、rder e-commerce is widening access to the international market and optimizing the global supply chain for businesses from all countries, including in developing and least developed countries. Alibaba Group is committed to making it easy to do business anywhere and to empowering global SMEs and consu
13、mers. By providing new business infrastructures for the Internet era from e-commerce platforms, inclusive finance and smart logistics to big data, cloud computing and cross-border trade services the Group is helping SMEs to better source globally, sell globally and to seek ever more innovative devel
14、opment. Since 2016, Alibaba has been calling for the establishment of an Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP) to accommodate the rapid development of the global digital economy, provide greater support to the development of SMEs and young people, incubate new international e-trade rules and promot
15、e the growth of inclusive trade worldwide. In recent months, the eWTP Initiative has been warmly welcomed by the international community. It was accepted as one of the major policy recommendations of the Business 20 and echoed by the Group of 20 Leaders at the Hangzhou Summit in September 2016. Cros
16、s-border e-commerce undoubtedly represents the future of global trade, and Alibaba Group stands ready to help SMEs ride this wave and expand business globally. We hope this report will prove beneficial for businesses from developing and least developed countries in their quest for new international
17、markets. Hongbing GAO Vice President of Alibaba Group Mohamed Es Fih, ITC eSolutions for Business Adviser; Sylvie Btemps Cochin, ITC Trade Promotion Officer and Mihoko Saito, ITC Junior Professional Officer, under the supervision of Xuejun Jiang, ITC Chief of the Office for Asia and the Pacific. Fur
18、ther thanks go to Ouyang Cheng, Executive Senior Advisor of Alibaba Research Institute and the Director of Ali Cross-border E-commerce Research Centre, for his inputs and comments. ITC would also like to thank Natalie Domeisen and Evelyn Seltier of ITC, who oversaw editing, production and quality co
19、ntrol; Erica Meltzer, who edited the paper; and Serge Adeagbo and Franco Iacovino of ITC, who provided graphic and printing support. This report was prepared as part of Enhancing Export Capacities of Asian Least Developed Countries (LDCs) for Intra-regional Trade, an ITC project supported by the Min
20、istry of Commerce of the Peoples Republic of China. The goal of the project is to increase exports of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from six Asian LDCs Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Nepal to China. This way they can take advantage of
21、Asias largest and most dynamic import market as a stimulus to boost intraregional trade in target sectors. E-COMMERCE IN CHINA: OPPORTUNITIES FOR ASIAN FIRMS vi OAP-16-24.E Contents Foreword ITC iii Foreword Alibaba Group iv Acknowledgements v Abbreviations viii Executive summary ix Chapter 1 The e-
22、commerce market in China 1 Market size 3 Overview of e-commerce platforms and service providers in China 8 The role of e-commerce in inclusive development in China 10 Public and private support for rural development through e-commerce 12 Chapter 2 What SMEs need to engage in e-commerce with China 15
23、 Regulatory requirements 15 Consumer requirements 16 Marketplace requirements 17 Market access strategies 20 Chapter 3 Developing e-commerce between Asian firms and China 23 Barriers and solutions: Bringing SMEs onto the Chinese e-commerce highway 23 Establishing online business 23 International e-p
24、ayment 25 Cross-border delivery 26 Aftersales 27 Recommendations for policymakers and trade and investment support institutions 29 E-COMMERCE IN CHINA: OPPORTUNITIES FOR ASIAN FIRMS OAP-16-24.E vii Figures Figure 1: Chinas cross-border e-commerce import / export distribution and growth, 20102016 . 2
25、 Figure 2: Average number of online orders per capita per year . 3 Figure 3: Major categories and origins of cross-border e-commerce, per sector . 4 Figure 4: Major categories and origins of cross-border e-commerce, per country . 4 Figure 5 Global cross-border B2C volume evolution . 5 Figure 6: Images from T-mall Global Country Pavilions: Examples of the Republic of Korea, France and Singapore .
