Chinese specialty products sold to markets far and wide

In the past, Chinese consumers turned to overseas shopping to buy goods from around the world. Nowadays, Chinese-made products are popular abroad, with many foreign consumers shopping from Chinese e-commerce platforms. On international social media, "how to buy from Chinese e-commerce platforms" has become a trending topic, reflecting surging global demand for Chinese products.

A farmer in Yantai, east China's Shandong Province, went viral for selling apples in English. Business owners in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province, used DeepSeek to create high-quality product videos in 36 foreign languages, leading foreign customers to believe that they are multilingual.

Many Chinese netizens wondered: "Are hometown specialties really reaching this far?"

From everyday essentials like nail clippers, condiments, and garlic presses to big-ticket items like electric vehicles (EVs) and home appliances, cross-border e-commerce platforms offer something for everyone.

The rise of shopping on Chinese e-commerce platforms highlights the growing competitiveness of Chinese products, backed by a strong manufacturing sector. In the past, "Made in China" was synonymous with cheap and low-end. Today, Chinese manufacturers have made great strides in quality, technological innovation, and design. Smart technologies have further boosted efficiency, cut costs, and strengthened China's competitive edge.

Take EVs for example. Some companies once competed by slashing prices to gain market share. But now, thanks to innovation, EVs come equipped with GPS navigation, tire pressure monitoring, voice control, lithium batteries, advanced safety systems, and even smart anti-theft features with remote tracking and alerts.

More Chinese companies are breaking free from price competition and moving upmarket. Their products are gaining a solid reputation and securing a firm foothold overseas. Around the world, "Chinese smart manufacturing" is reshaping perceptions and becoming a gold standard for global exports.

Workers are busy inspecting and shipping refrigerators for cross-border e-commerce in the factory of a company in Lishui district, Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Photo/Zhu Hongsheng)

Over the last five years, China's cross-border e-commerce trade has grown more than tenfold. In 2024, total cross-border e-commerce imports and exports hit 2.63 trillion yuan (about $361 billion), up 10.8 percent year on year.

Recently, the General Administration of Customs of China and two other departments introduced new policies to streamline the supervision of cross-border e-commerce. This sheds light on how China's foreign trade continues to thrive despite external pressures.

In Zhongshan, south China's Guangdong Province, a lighting manufacturer leveraged e-commerce trend analysis to boost sales nearly 300-fold in just six months. In Yiwu, a London-based businessman made his 10th trip to source products, saying, "I come to China every year to buy goods filling around 100 shipping containers."

As China moves from "buying globally" to "selling globally," the path to mutual benefit and shared success continues to expand.