Silk Road e-commerce brings Spring Festival vibes

China has launched an online shopping event for festive goods ahead of the upcoming Spring Festival, which falls on Jan. 29 this year.

The Silk Road e-commerce Spring Festival activity, which runs from Jan. 7 to Feb. 5, serves a dual purpose: bringing high-quality products from Silk Road e-commerce partner countries to Chinese consumers while ensuring that overseas Chinese and international consumers can access traditional festive goods on the global versions of various e-commerce platforms.

A China-Europe freight train fully loaded with goods departs from the China-Kazakhstan (Lianyungang) Logistics Cooperation Base in Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu Province, Jan. 2, marking the departure of the first China-Europe freight train from the base in 2025. (Photo/Wang Jianmin)

Silk Road e-commerce is an important measure to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. In recent years, China has carried out Silk Road e-commerce cooperation with 33 partner countries, establishing Silk Road e-commerce as a distinguished model for international e-commerce cooperation.

A senior representative from JD Worldwide, the platform for imported products of China's leading retailer JD.com, said the platform now features premium products from more than 23 Silk Road e-commerce partner countries, with the offerings spanning diverse categories, including maternal and infant products, food and beverages, health supplements, fashion items, and personal care products.

The Silk Road e-commerce Spring Festival activity will leverage pilot zones for Silk Road e-commerce cooperation, major e-commerce platforms, trade promotion organizations, leading enterprises, shopping districts, and national pavilions for Belt and Road partner countries to expand the supply of premium products, according to the Department of Electronic Commerce and Informatization of the Ministry of Commerce.

"From this year's New Year Day to the Spring Festival period, we expect that the imports of Chilean cherries will surge by approximately 50 percent compared to the same period last year," said Wang Yongheng, e-commerce operations supervisor of a supply chain management company in Shanghai.

A sales person advertises cherries imported from Chile during a livestream at the 3rd Xinfadi New Year Goods Festival in Beijing. (People's Daily Overseas Edition/Pan Junqiang)

The timing couldn't be better, as countries in the Southern Hemisphere like Chile and Peru are in their summer season, perfectly positioned to meet China's Spring Festival demand for cherries, grapes, and other fresh fruits.

"E-commerce platforms like Pinduoduo are implementing aggressive pricing strategies to promote sales of imported fruits. We are continuing to optimize our supply chain to supply more premium imported fruits for the Spring Festival," Wang added.

The Hongqiao Import Commodity Exhibition and Trade Center in Shanghai is showcasing nearly 400 kinds of distinct products from over 90 Belt and Road partner countries.

In south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the 2025 China (Guangxi) - ASEAN Online New Year Shopping Festival and the 2025 China (Guangxi) - ASEAN New Year Fair are running concurrently, with the offline fair spanning almost 3,000 square meters and offering close to 1,000 kinds of products that lure crowds of customers.

The Silk Road e-commerce Spring Festival activity is equally focused on serving overseas Chinese and international consumers seeking authentic Chinese New Year goods. This year's activity will promote China's time-honored brands and trendy products on overseas online platforms, complete with special promotions to help overseas Chinese easily access quality domestic festive goods and embrace Spring Festival vibes.

Lazbao Group primarily provides services in Southeast Asian markets including Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia, where online New Year shopping focuses on articles of daily use, shoes, and clothing.

Merchants put up a lantern at a New Year goods market in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Photo/Yu Xiangquan)

"We customize specialty products like Spring Festival couplets, lanterns, and gift boxes of nuts, to create a festive atmosphere for the traditional Chinese New Year," said Li Zhiping, founder of Lazbao Group.

Li added that the company, with its current overseas warehouses reaching 80,000 square meters, boasts a daily processing capacity of 150,000 to 200,000 orders. In addition, the firm partners with express companies including Best Express and J&T to meet customer demands for rapid shipping and efficient return and exchange.

Currently, Alibaba's Taobao platform has expanded its reach across multiple Silk Road e-commerce partner countries. The platform now offers free shipping to more than 10 countries and regions, with a broader product range than ever before.

An employee inspects products at Yiyang Red Star Ceramics Co., Ltd. in Yiyang county, Luoyang, central China's Henan Province. The company exports products to over 20 countries and regions. (Photo/Li Weichao)

"Now it is more convenient for overseas Chinese consumers to place orders for domestic goods on their familiar Taobao App," said a manager who is in charge of Taobao's overseas business.