Economy and Business

4th APEC E-Commerce forum held in Chengdu

(China Daily Sichuan Bureau)
Updated: 2010-05-24 17:04

The 4th APEC E-Commerce Business Alliance was held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, from May 21 to 22.

Members of the APEC Electronic Commerce Business Alliance Expert Committee pose for picture after receiving their certificates in the 4th APEC E-Commerce Business Alliance Forum. [Photo/Huang Zhiling]

With the theme "Opening A New Future of E-Era," the forum consisted of seven subjects: Asia-Pacific e-business policy environment and development trends; triple play and commercial value; female "E consumption"; 3G wireless business opportunities; e-commerce, foreign trade breakthrough; building e-commerce eco-industrial chain; competitive landscape of e-commerce and investment in transition.

The APEC Electronic Commerce Business Alliance Expert Committee was formally established in the forum.

Sponsored by the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC), the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, General Administration of Customs, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China, the forum attracted nearly 400 government officials and company executives from the United States, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taipei.

The forum, which drew more government and company executives than the previous three sessions, strengthened E-commerce co-operation among APEC members and boosted Asia-Pacific economic growth and common prosperity, said Jiang Yaoping, vice-minister of commerce.

It was the first time the forum was held in a city in western China thanks to the fact that Chengdu had been home to an increasing number of major e-commerce companies.

In less than three months after their initial negotiation, Alibaba reached an agreement with Chengdu High-tech Zone last June to invest US$100 million to build its western base. Only half a year later, Jingdong Online Shopping Mall, Dangdang, Tencent, Global Sources and other well-known e-commerce platforms also settled in Chengdu.

E-commerce firms believe that Chengdu is the bridgehead to enter western China's Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Yunnan, Gansu, Shaanxi, Qinghai, Ningxia, Xinjiang and Tibet.

Chengdu's favorable investment environment has attracted a number of E-commerce giants to the city within a short period, said Ge Honglin, mayor of Chengdu, in an interview with www.chinadaily.com.cn Chengdu has been supporting development of E-commerce in fields such as talented personnel introduction, tax and policies.

In 2009, Chengdu decided to build itself into a major E-commerce center in China. It expects its e-commerce transactions to exceed 300 billion yuan (US$44 billion) in 2012 when over 50 percent of its small and medium-sized firms resort to e-business applications, and more than 85 percent of its large firms do so, Ge said.