Under the framework of jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative, Silk Road e-commerce is an important measure to help establish a new global digital cooperation pattern based on mutual benefits and shared development.

China's top leadership has given instructions on "developing Silk Road e-commerce" at multiple important occasions since 2021, setting a clear direction for promoting the establishment of a digital cooperation framework.

Since 2016, China has established bilateral e-commerce cooperation mechanisms with 36 countries across five continents, and carried out multilateral and regional e-commerce cooperation with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Central Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, and Central Africa.

Significant achievements have been made in areas including expanding imports of high-quality and distinctive products from partner countries, driving the digital transformation of local industries, helping small and medium-sized enterprises in partner countries expand globally, and deepening cooperation across the e-commerce supply chain.

International cooperation on Silk Road e-commerce adheres to the concept of inclusive and mutually beneficial economic globalization and aligns with the development themes of the United Nations, such as poverty reduction, employment and support for vulnerable groups. Pragmatic cooperation in four key areas including policy exchange, industrial connection, local collaboration and capacity building has been carried out.

Nearly 100 multilateral and bilateral working group meetings, exchanges, roundtables and matchmaking sessions have been held with partner countries, while over 120 online and offline national pavilions have been established, helping more than 5,000 products from partner countries enter the Chinese market.

In 2024, the transaction value of China's cross-border e-commerce with partner countries reached 493 billion yuan ($69.4 billion), accounting for nearly 30 percent of the country's total cross-border e-commerce volume.