From January to August, China's e-commerce sector continued to develop steadily and healthily, expanding the consumption of goods and services, accelerating innovative applications of artificial intelligence (AI), and promoting mutually beneficial international trade and economic cooperation, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said in a statement released on its website on Monday.

During the period, a cooperation and innovative development conference involving "Silk Road E-commerce" was held for the first time during the 7th China-Arab States Expo, attracting more than 300 domestic and international representatives. The ministry also held a China-Arab e-commerce exchange for the first time, an initial step toward institutionalizing e-commerce mechanisms, according to the statement.

Meetings of the China-Kazakhstan and China-Uzbekistan e-commerce working groups were conducted to promote policy exchanges, industry alignment, capacity building, and local cooperation. From January to August, key monitored platforms reported sales growth of 160.1 percent for Indonesian bird's nest products, 143.2 percent for Kazakhstani safflower seed oil, and 94.6 percent for Uzbekistani candies, the ministry said.

In addition, online retail boosts domestic consumption. Initiatives such as quality e-commerce development and digital consumption enhancement have been deeply implemented, stimulating consumer vitality.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, national online retail sales grew by 9.6 percent from January to August, with online retail sales of physical goods increasing by 6.4 percent. Data monitoring by the MOFCOM showed that online sales of home appliances and digital products grew rapidly, with smart wearables seeing growth of 25.2 percent, computers of 23.7 percent, and mobile phones of 20.2 percent. Online services consumption grew by 18.9 percent, with online sales of tourism services rising 25.5 percent and catering up by 19.1 percent.

E-commerce platforms are intensifying the application of AI in merchant operations, industrial alignment, and scenario optimization, enhancing the digital intelligence level across the entire circulation chain from production to consumption, the ministry said.

In the first half of the year, major listed e-commerce platforms reported research and development intensity ranging from 6.2 percent to 24.5 percent, surpassing the average for listed companies. Platforms are actively promoting the development of embodied intelligence products, such as humanoid robots, intelligent logistics, smart tactile systems, and intelligent brains, accelerating the construction of an AI industrial ecosystem and becoming a key driver of AI development in China, according to the MOFCOM.

(Source: Global Times)