In order to effectively help build a high-quality system of cross-border e-commerce industries and promote the high-quality development of digital technology, digital trade, and foreign trade, the 2023 Weifang Cross-border E-commerce High-quality Development Conference was held in Weifang, Shandong Province, on October 21st with the theme of “Cooperation, Innovation and Win-Win Results: New Engine of Cross-border E-commerce Helps New Growth of Foreign Trade”. Zhang Zhigang, former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Commerce, Qu Mingjun, Minister of the Party Committee and Organization Department of Shandong University, and Shi Jianming, foreign academician of the Engineering Academy of Japan and professor of Tokyo University of Science, attended the conference and delivered speeches.
Di Bo introduced the development of cross-border e-commerce in Weifang. He said that the Shandong University-Weifang Cross-border Trade (E-commerce) Industrial Research Institute, the first one in Shandong, has built a professional platform for talent training and resource sharing, facilitated the transition and upgrading of traditional foreign trade enterprises, and promoted the in-depth integration of talent, education, industry and innovation chains.
Qu Mingjun introduced Shandong University’s strategy of “Strengthening the University through Talents”, “Serving Shandong” and “Integrated Development”, and hoped that through the conference, all stakeholders can jointly cultivate the system of the cross-border e-commerce industry, promote the industrial brand of “cross-border e-commerce focuses on bonded zones”, carry out more practical and effective cooperation with Weifang, work together to build a regional cross-border trade (e-commerce) industry for higher productivity, and continue to push forward the famous city and the famous university to mutually empower each other.
Shi Jianming said that with the development of new-generation information technology, digital trade has become the driving force of global economic development. He hoped that the forum could be a platform to exchange views with guests and experts, share experience and wisdom, explore ways of win-win cooperation, and bring more new development opportunities for enterprises.
Zhang Zhigang said that cross-border e-commerce has become an important part of the strategy of ensuring stability in foreign trade and foreign investment and stimulating consumption, and the e-commerce and cross-border e-commerce industry should pay attention to the new changes in the frontiers of science and technology, green development and low-carbon strategy, and achieve the industry’s intelligence improvement and digital transition, effectively contributing to the construction of a strong nation and the rejuvenation of the nation.
At the conference, the China-Weifang Cross-border E-commerce Industry and Education Alliance was officially established.
Qu Weixi, Vice President of Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, made a report entitled “High-quality Development of Cross-border E-commerce in China: Situation and Countermeasures”, analyzing the opportunities and challenges faced by cross-border e-commerce, and proposing that international cooperation and exchanges in the areas of cross-border e-commerce standards and systems should be strengthened at the bilateral and multi-lateral levels; taking “cross-border e-commerce + industry belt” as a starting point to promote the various regions to develop and cultivate brands with their characteristics; speeding up the protection and guidance of intellectual property rights of cross-border e-commerce, and guiding the compliance management and prevention of risks; and promoting the high-quality development of overseas warehouses to enhance the capacity and level of overseas logistics services.
Professor Shi Jianming gave a keynote report entitled “Cross-border E-commerce in the Age of AI: Opportunities and Challenges”, which took AI and machine learning as the starting point, analyzed the status quo and trend of cross-border e-commerce development, and put forward countermeasures and suggestions, for example, the market and product choices can be diversified, cross-border e-commerce can reduce the cost of sales, and the data of the platform can be used to improve the user experience.
Kim Changhyun, Professor of Strategy at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), gave a keynote speech entitled “Weifang High-Quality Development of Cross-Border E-commerce Conference Decoupling or De-risking: A Korean Perspective”, which demonstrated China’s trade relations with the world’s major economies with detailed data and analyzed the trend of the trade relations between China and South Korea from the perspectives of South Korea, Europe, and the US.
In the round-table dialogue session, Yu Lu, Vice President of China Chamber of Commerce of Import and Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce & Animal By-Products, Du Guochen, Director of E-Commerce Research Institute of Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, Zong Fangyu, Director of the Research Office of the Department of Foreign Economy of the Development Research Center of the State Council, Yan Haifeng, Vice President of the East China University of Science and Technology, and Deng Ziliang, Deputy Dean of Renmin Business School and the chief expert of the major projects of the National Social Science Fund of China, discussed many topics including “The impact of changes in the external environment on the development of China’s foreign trade”, “New opportunities for international cross-border e-commerce cooperation in the face of the new global pattern” , “How to build and strengthen multilateral, bilateral and inter-regional cooperation for China, Japan and South Korea” , “How to fully implement the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and better promote the cooperation among China, Japan and South Korea in the field of cross-border e-commerce” and “The position and role of Shandong and Weifang in terms of China-Japan-South Korea trade and investment and China-Japan-South Korea cross-border e-commerce cooperation”.
As one of the series activities of the 2023 China-Japan-South Korea Industrial Cooperation and Development Forum and the 9th China-Japan-South Korea Industrial Expo, the conference was hosted by the School of Management of Shandong University. Guo Hongwei, Level Ⅱ Inspector of Department of Commerce of Shandong Province, Xu Mei, Secretary of the Party Committee of Weifang University, Shi Qingyun, the School counsellor of the leading roles of divisions, and Zhou Lin, Deputy Party Secretary of the School attended the conference. About 150 people attended the conference, including responsible comrades of relevant departments such as Department of Commerce of Shandong Province, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shandong Sub-council, Weifang Municipal Government, Weifang Municipal Party Committee Organization Department, Bureau of Commerce of Weifang City, and Weifang Comprehensive Bonded Zone Management Committee, guests of cross-border e-commerce import and export enterprises and cross-border e-commerce industry, and representatives of teachers and students from universities across the country.
In recent years, Shandong University and Weifang city have adhered to a win-win cooperation, focused on the actual development of digital trade and cross-border e-commerce, jointly promoted talent gathering, industrial agglomeration, integration of production and talent, and worked together to help the major projects of the conversion of old and new momentum, the construction of cross-border e-commerce pilot zones, and other major strategies in Shandong Province. In September 2022, cooperated with the Weifang Comprehensive Bonded Zone, the Shandong University-Weifang Institute of Cross-border Trade (E-commerce) Industry was established. Relying on the disciplinary, talents, and research of the School, they co-organized quarterly thematic exchanges, semi-annual forums on economic development, and annual summits, actively integrated and optimized the resources of the cross-border e-commerce system of the province in terms of “government, production, academia, research, creation and application”, promoted the creation of a cross-border e-commerce industry chain, and continued to cultivate new driving forces for the development of digital technology, digital trade, and foreign trade, contributing wisdom and strength to the provincial socialist modernization construction in the new era.
