Cutting-edge tech products showcased on Taobao during shopping festival

From underwater high-speed rail tunnel boring machines to ultra-small diameter 0.01-millimeter milling cutters, a lineup of major equipment is now listed on Alibaba's online marketplace Taobao this "Double 11" shopping festival, a series of sales centered around Nov. 11, allowing customers to "make orders online."

According to reports, a total of 20 pieces of national-grade equipment have been listed on Taobao this year, covering fields such as information technology, artificial intelligence, aerospace, new energy, new materials, high-end equipment, medical devices, and quantum technology. Among these items, 17 are labeled as "China's first" or "world's first," and 11 bear the title of "China's largest" or "world's largest." Strategic emerging industries account for 14 of these pieces of national-grade equipment.

These products include the Heqi No.1, China's first industrial-use nuclear energy steam supply project by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), the world's first 400G all-optical backbone network by Chinese telecoms giant China Mobile, and the Yongning tunnel boring machine developed by China Railway Group Limited (CREC).

Of course, most of these products aren't actually available for purchase on Taobao, but their listings increase awareness of China's technological successes.

In 2023, China's State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) opened a store on Taobao featuring over 10 high-end tech products. While these items were not available for purchase, they quickly caught the attention of consumers who eagerly added them to their carts and shared them on social media.

China's first homegrown AS700 civil manned airship conducts its demonstration flight in Yangshuo county, Guilin, south China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. (Photo provided by the Special Vehicle Research Institute under the Aviation Industry Corporation of China)

This year's "Double 11" shopping festival is once again showcasing a range of cutting-edge tech products, including the "Xiangyun," China's domestically produced AS700 civil manned airship, which is now available for purchase.

Some centrally-administered state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have launched high-quality products for civilian use on Taobao, which consumers can order online. These include a graphene heated scarf by Aero Engine Corporation of China, the FIYTA J-20 series automatic watch, and others.

Taobao has improved the user experience for showcasing and ordering these products. Zhao Kun, general manager of Taobao.com, mentioned that Taobao has launched a new enterprise procurement platform this year.

"From small screws to computer numerical control machine tools, and even rockets and satellites, you can find them all on Taobao," Zhao said.

Centrally-administered SOEs have been actively participating in the "Double 11" shopping festival for four consecutive years, demonstrating their technological innovation prowess and transforming the e-commerce platform into a new educational platform for showcasing Chinese manufacturing capabilities.