15.1.1 Development of Cross-Border E-Commerce in C...

15.1.1 Development of Cross-Border E-Commerce in China跨境电商在中国的发展历程

It is generally agreed that CBEC in China has gone through three stages of beginning,development and maturity:

♦1999—2003:beginning

The launch of Alibaba in 1999 started China’s exploration for cross-border e-commerce.This marked the beginning of Chinese traders to establish business relations with overseas buyers via the Internet,and of transformation from a traditional mode of trade to an ever more Internet-based one.However,at this initial stage,CBEC platforms mainly played the role of an advertising media—displaying products,introducing factories,publicizing businesses,etc.Constrained by technology and national policies,the transaction function had not been realized.The platforms targeted primarily at small and medium-sized enterprises,aiming to help them develop global market.

♦2004—2012:development

In 2004,DHgate.com was launched,marking the beginning of an era of integration.In addition to advertising,offline payment and logistics were integrated to complete the entire transaction process.The B2B model familiar to us was pioneered at this stage.This model reduced links in the transaction,saved cost for commodity inspection and customs clearance,shortened the supply chain,slashed the overallcost for import and export,which all translated into improved bargaining power of Chinese businesses in the international market.For platforms,the initial business model based on membership fees gradually gave way to a commission-based model—the platforms charged a commission from sellers at a percentage of their sales for the service provided.

♦2013—present:maturity

Since 2013,CBEC in China has entered a stage of growing maturity.This stage is no longer marked by the establishment of one or two platforms,but by three features.First,the user base of CBEC platform has expanded from small and medium-sized enterprises to include large businesses and factories,which propels a constant improvement in product quality and technology and has paved the way for a switch of competitive edge from price to technology.Second,more and more big Internet service providers have got involved,boosting the capability of platforms in processing transactions.Third,the addition of mobile terminals has skyrocketed the user base.Previously,CBEC was conducted merely on computers or laptops.Beginning from this stage,more users have been able to engage in CBEC via their smartphones,thanks to the wide coverage of 4G network.