Weblog with daily updates of the news on a frugal, fair and beautiful China, from the perspective of internet entrepreneur, new media advisor and president of the China Speakers Bureau Fons Tuinstra
The US has put a row of larger Chinese commercial firms on its Pentagon blacklist for connections with China’s military, including Alibaba, Baidu, BYD, CATL, Unitree, Xiaomi, Huawei and chipmaker CXMT. “It signals that the definition of strategic technology has expanded dramatically, says Winston Ma, adjunct professor at NYU, across a range of media.
The Sri Lanka Guardian:
“When companies like Alibaba, Baidu, BYD, Tencent and Xiaomi are viewed through a national security lens, it signals that the definition of strategic technology has expanded dramatically,” said Winston Ma. He noted that the updated Pentagon list aligns with broader regulatory shifts in the United States, including earlier efforts by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to broaden its review of mergers and acquisitions involving foreign-linked firms. That expansion, implemented in early 2025, was designed to tighten oversight of investments from geopolitical competitors, particularly China. Ma added that these developments reflect a structural shift in how commercial innovation is assessed within policy frameworks. “Both developments reflect a broader reality: The boundary between commercial technology and national security is becoming increasingly blurred,” he said.
China’s leading e-commerce firm, Alibaba, runs two different retail platforms. Consumer expert Ashley Dudarenokexplains on her website how both platforms, while owned by the same company, differ profoundly in their approaches.
Ashley Dudarenok:
Tmall vs Taobao describes the two primary retail platforms inside Alibaba’s ecommerce ecosystem. Taobao operates as a discovery marketplace where consumers explore products and compare sellers. Tmall functions as a brand-controlled retail platform where verified flagship stores convert that discovery into trusted purchases.
Search interest around Tmall vs Taobao often assumes the two platforms compete for the same role inside China’s e-commerce market. In reality, Alibaba structured them as complementary layers within a unified commerce system.
Branding expert Ashley Dudarenok uses Alibaba’s Tmall as an example for brands that successfully use e-commerce to generate sales, she explains on her website ‘Social platforms generate interest. The Tmall platform converts that interest into purchases through brand-controlled retail infrastructure,” she writes.
Ashley Dudarenok:
China’s e-commerce environment has changed rapidly in recent years. Product discovery now happens widely on Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and other content platforms where creators influence demand, reflecting the rapid rise of social commerce in China. When consumers reach the purchase stage, many still complete the transaction on Tmall China.
The platform provides a structured retail environment where brands operate verified stores, manage promotions, and control the final transaction experience. This structure explains why Tmall ecommerce remains central to brand strategy in 2026.
Social platforms generate interest. The Tmall platform converts that interest into purchases through brand-controlled retail infrastructure.
Sharon Gai, author of Ecommerce Reimagined: Retail and Ecommerce in China, started her career in Alibaba’s early days and now watches the e-commerce evolution in both China and the US. She discusses her career with Grace Shao, touching on AI, branding, and innovation.
Marketing guru Ashley Dudarenok dives into China’s B2B marketplaces and their latest key trends, including the top-10 platforms trying to get hold of the global market, at her website Chozan. “Trust is becoming a brand asset. Alibaba’s Trade Assurance, DHgate’s escrow, and Yiwugo’s secure payments provide buyers with additional protection. Video reviews, verified supplier programs, and standardization efforts help reduce fraud while ensuring shipments clear customs smoothly,” she writes.
Ashley Dudarenok:
Cross-Border B2B Trade Growth
China’s export-led e-commerce boom is still accelerating. In 2024, cross-border e-commerce exports increased by 16.9%year-over-year, driving trade volume to 2.71trillionyuan (approximately USD 373 billion).
This surge widened trade deficits in importing countries, fueling scrutiny of the de minimis loophole that exempts low-value shipments from tariffs. Yet demand remains strong, driven by low prices, a wide variety of products, and faster shipping times.
Innovation Across Chinese B2B Platforms
Chinese B2B platforms are evolving into tech-driven ecosystems rather than static directories. Recent upgrades include:
AI-driven sourcing: Alibaba, Made-in-China, and TradeChina.com now use AI to match buyers with verified suppliers, analyze intent, and forecast demand.
Social commerce models: Pinduoduo’s group-buying concept and Temu’s gamified shopping are adapted for bulk B2B orders, letting businesses unlock discounts through collective purchasing.
Payment security: Escrow and trade assurance programs, now standard, release funds only after confirmed delivery has been made. This reduces fraud and builds buyer confidence.
Virtual and hybrid trade shows: Global Sources and HKTDC host online exhibitions alongside physical fairs, enabling remote supplier meetings and contract negotiations.
AI, Data Analytics, and Digitalization
Artificial intelligence now extends beyond product recommendations. Platforms. TradeChina.com integrates price-tracking dashboards, while Yiwugo leverages video reviews to highlight trustworthy sellers.
Digital tools also streamline collaboration. In-app messaging, video calls, and document sharing reduce reliance on email, while digitally stored contracts and invoices simplify audits. These features make B2B trade more transparent and efficient.
Supply Chain and Logistics Transformation
Fast, predictable delivery has become a competitive edge. Platforms are investing heavily in localized logistics networks:
Temu builds warehouses in the US and Europe and recruits local sellers to ensure 3–7 day delivery.
Alibaba’s Cainiao offers end-to-end logistics with customs clearance and order consolidation.
DHgate simplifies small-order shipping and expands express options.
TradeChina.com integrates freight forwarding and customs brokerage, while Yiwugo focuses on bulk shipping solutions.
These investments reflect a clear shift: logistics is no longer just infrastructure, but a core differentiator in B2B competition.
Regulation and Trust
Stricter global regulations are reshaping digital trade. The EU Digital Services Act and the US moves to restrict duty-free imports are pushing platforms toward greater compliance. Many now enforce KYC checks, export-control screening, and real-time customs data integration.
Trust is becoming a brand asset. Alibaba’s Trade Assurance, DHgate’s escrow, and Yiwugo’s secure payments provide buyers with additional protection. Video reviews, verified supplier programs, and standardization efforts help reduce fraud while ensuring shipments clear customs smoothly.
For years, the playbook for winning in China was a mix of big-name endorsements, heritage storytelling, and a relentless focus on the Tier-1 coastal elite. That playbook is now obsolete. The China Online Consumer Brand Index (CBI), a landmark study from Peking University and Alibaba, crunches the numbers on nearly one billion consumers and reveals a market that is not just evolving, but has fundamentally transformed.
The report, released August 20, isn’t just another data dump; it’s a stark look at a new consumer psyche — one that is more pragmatic, digitally native, and geographically diverse than ever before. For global brands, the findings are both a warning and a massive opportunity. Simply showing up is no longer enough.
China’s CBI, developed by Peking University’s National School of Development in partnership with Alibaba’s Taobao and Tmall Group, evaluates brands across four key dimensions: Brand Awareness (32.5%), Brand Novelty (27.5%), Customer Loyalty (22.5%), and Customer Satisfaction (17.5%). The index uniquely emphasizes Brand Novelty—reflecting China’s appetite for innovative, fast-growing brands that appeal to younger consumers…
Perhaps the most significant long-term trend identified by the CBI is the further geographic diffusion of wealth and consumer power. While the world focused on Shanghai and Beijing, cities like Hefei, Zhengzhou, Chongqing and Nanchang have quietly emerged as hotspots of high average consumption quality, sometimes even surpassing their Tier-1 counterparts.
This is not just about rising incomes. It reflects a deeper trend of “consumption upgrading” across the country. Consumers in these cities are increasingly sophisticated, demanding the same quality and brand diversity as those in the coastal megacities. For brands, this means the Tier-1 strategy is no longer sufficient.
The next wave of growth will come from understanding the nuanced cultural and economic landscapes of these rising urban centers. Brands that build logistics, marketing, and community-building strategies tailored to these new frontiers will secure the next decade of growth.
To sum up, the data is unequivocal: Chinese consumers have graduated from being passive recipients of brand messaging to active, discerning partners in value creation. The brands that understand and adapt to this new reality will not just win in China, they will define the future of global commerce.
Innovation expert Ashley Dudarenok says human programmers will still be needed in her vlog. But AI is already replacing a range of jobs in China. For example, Alibaba introduced its first AI employee, Tongyi Lingma, last summer, and it made huge inroads into the work process, she notes.
China’s President Xi Jinping met last week with the country’s major tech leaders, for the first time he did so since 2018. Business analyst Shaun Rein, author of The Split: Finding the Opportunities in China’s Economy in the New World Order, discusses the importance of this policy change after the country’s tech industry suffered from a major crackdown in the past years, he tells at the Thinkers Forum. China’s industrial leaders heard it is ok to make money again after a long time, he added
According to Shanghai-based business analyst Shaun Rein in The Global View, capital is moving back to China, and the country will be back in business in six to 12 months. In the short run investors in the stock markets have to be careful, as China’s stock markets behave more like volatile retail markets where institutional investors have little influence. He adds that the tech markets will especially be booming again now Xi Jinping showed his full support for the sector.
With 3.8 million 5G stations China is leading the world in 5G, explains marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok on TikTok. Alibaba already uses technology to replace workers, she adds.
The metaverse is poised to grow fast in the coming three years, says Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman and chief researcher of Hurun Report, who published a report about the industry, according to the state-owned China Daily. Technology giant Huawei tops the list with the greatest potential in the metaverse for the first time, followed by Alibaba, Baidu, China Telecom and China Mobile.
The China Daily:
China’s metaverse-related industry is expected to grow fast in the next three years, thanks to continuing maturity and the application of key technologies including 5G, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing and virtual reality, according to an industrial report.
“Whether it’s entertainment, social media, online education, telecommuting, or digital marketing, the metaverse can offer entirely new experiences and models in the years ahead,” said Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman and chief researcher of Hurun Report.
Hoogewerf made the remarks after the Hurun Research Institute released a ranking report of 200 Chinese companies with the greatest potential in the metaverse in 2024 in Nansha district of Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, in late August.
“The metaverse is considered a strategic emerging industry and will accelerate the promotion of Nansha to become an innovation highland and emerging industry incubation highland in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area,” said Hoogewerf.
The report refers to companies based in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. For the main list, companies considered have a value of $1 billion or more.
“There has been a clear trend of metaverse-related businesses in the past three years, especially in the fields of education, finance, tourism and healthcare,” said Hoogewerf.
Technology giant Huawei tops the list with the greatest potential in the metaverse for the first time, followed by Alibaba, Baidu, China Telecom and China Mobile.
Former Alibaba executive Sharon Gai explains how AI is changing the retail industry beyond recognition. Amazon was the pioneer in this field, although now nobody can ignore the change AI is causing globally.
US sanctions on China make it harder for Chinese companies to develop large-scale AI systems because they lack access to finance and computing power, says Winston Ma, adjunct professor of law at the New York University School of Law. But they will focus on AI applications and their commercialization rather than developing the big systems, he tells CNBC.
E-commerce expert Sharon Gai started her career at Alibaba and now explains to the rest of the world how consumer platforms in China work differently from the West, and why also newcomers like Shein and Temu work differently. A discussion on Retail TouchPoint.
AI and e-commerce expert Sharon Gai discusses what companies can learn from their competitors in China at a conference in Europe. China explained for non-Chinese marketeers.
