The rise and shine of China's e-commerce

Employees standing next to a logo of Alibaba (China) Technology Co Ltd during at its headquarters.[Photo/Xinhua]

China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and 11 other departments recently released the Circular on Further Promoting the Sound and Rapid Development of E-Commerce. The measures outlined in the Circular are designed to ensure the continued development of the nation's e-commerce sector, one which reached 8.1 trillion RMB in 2012, up a significant 31.7 percent from 2011.

The proposed actions comprise a mix of initiatives to improve infrastructure, enhance processes, develop standards and target e-commerce growth and its development in specific key industries.

E-government infrastructure

One aim of the new initiatives is to promote greater coordination across government departments. The plans include a program to manage electronic files, plus the development of a unified and efficient commercial, trade and e-commerce statistics system. Other strategies feature improvements in e-commerce customs clearance and the acceleration of web-based electronic invoices for international trade transactions. The government will also continue to improve both taxation policies and practices in order to facilitate e-commerce, especially across national borders.

Standards

The new initiatives also promote the development of national standards to both facilitate e-commerce and encourage the people's faith in online activities. The Ministry of Agriculture will study and formulate the classification and grading standards for agricultural products. The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), in conjunction with the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) and other relevant departments, will study the measures to formulate the construction of a credit system regarding e-commerce product quality.