On September 27, the opening ceremony of the 2025 Cross-Border E-Commerce Annual Meeting (Zhuhai-Hengqin), themed ‘New Start, New Space, New Opportunities’, was held at the Zhuhai International Convention & Exhibition Centre.
The guests present shared insights into topics such as air logistics and cross-border supply chains, while further exploring new ideas, models, and opportunities for developing cross-border e-commerce from a business perspective.
At the Hengqin Cross-Border E-Commerce (Huafa) Innovation Industrial Park located in the northeastern part of Hengqin Island, more than 30 Chinese and international live streamers conducted store visits.
As they moved between booths featuring beauty products, home goods, electronics, and other merchandise, they held up their phones to showcase these products to the online audience.
China is intensifying its efforts to enhance its infrastructure and logistics systems.
Proactive measures have been adopted to accelerate the development of cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones, eliminate the registration requirement for overseas warehouses operated by cross-border e-commerce exporters, and further simplify related customs clearance procedures.
Driven by these favourable policies, cross-border e-commerce platforms, enterprises, and service providers have experienced rapid business growth.
In the first half of this year, China’s cross-border e-commerce import and export volume reached approximately RMB 1.3 trillion, setting a new historical record.
Industry experts believe that the global cross-border e-commerce industry will experience a new round of rapid expansion by capitalising on the opportunities presented by the internet and digital economy, and riding the wave of China’s economic growth.
As new markets and development spaces emerge in the field of cross-border e-commerce, China and other countries can leverage their complementary strengths to capitalise on new opportunities, explore innovative forms of cooperation, and develop emerging business formats.
As of September 2025, the number of China’s ‘Silk Road E-commerce’ partner countries had increased to 36.
Since 2024, China has significantly promoted the diversification and systematic upgrading of overseas expansion models for Chinese private enterprises, including cross-border e-commerce, through measures such as signing memoranda of understanding on e-commerce cooperation with other countries, assisting in hosting e-commerce exhibitions, and conducting overseas roadshows.
Cross-border e-commerce has injected new momentum into economic and trade cooperation between China and Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries. Products from these countries, such as Chilean cherries, Mexican avocados and Brazilian nuts, have sold well in the Chinese market through e-commerce platforms.
Wang Ying, Executive Vice Dean of the Academy of China Open Economy Studies at the University of International Business and Economics, believes that the solid foundation for e-commerce development in Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries, trade facilitation measures between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, as well as the new industrial chain integrating the manufacturing sector of the Chinese mainland, Macao’s service sector, and Portuguese-speaking markets, will greatly boost the cross-border e-commerce cooperation between both sides.
According to Gong Weiguo, General Manager of China Southern Air Logistics Co., Ltd., the company has transported more than 700 million cross-border e-commerce parcels since 2022, with a total cargo volume of 590,000 tons and an average annual growth rate of 85%.
In alignment with national strategies and the development of cross-border e-commerce, the company will focus on strengthening its transport capacity and operational capabilities in the Middle East, Latin America, Southeast Asia, Central and West Asia, and other countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, to build a broader and more reliable ‘Silk Road in the Air’.
“Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries represent a vast blue ocean market. For example, the bulk commodities and biotechnology industries in Brazil are highly complementary to the electronics and new energy vehicle sectors in the Chinese mainland,” said Wu Yanxiang, Deputy Head of the Interdepartmental Preparatory Working Group for the Centre.
“We adopt a government-led, market-oriented approach to addressing the pain points of industries such as cross-border e-commerce, high-end manufacturing, and digital economy, and thus providing one-stop comprehensive solutions,” Wu added.
