Hangzhou has made significant progress in developing cross-border e-commerce in recent years by building a comprehensive pilot zone.

During this year's Double 11 shopping spree, which lasted from Nov 1 to 11, Tmall, a shopping platform run by Alibaba, recorded a year-on-year increase of 47.3 percent in imported commodity sales.

Statistics show that around 180 overseas brands exceeded 10 million yuan ($1.52 million) in transaction volume during the shopping event. Chinese consumers can now buy a variety of imported goods through the tap of a finger.

In March 2015, the State Council approved the establishment of the Hangzhou Cross-Border E-Commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone. In 2016, the national monitoring center for cross-border e-commerce commodity quality and safety was founded in Hangzhou.

In 2018, Hangzhou developed the nation's first cross-border e-commerce credit system. The city has been a pioneer in promoting the development of cross-border e-commerce.

From January to August, Hangzhou recorded 68.46 billion yuan in cross-border e-commerce imports and exports, a year-on-year increase of 19.61 percent. The city has more than 26,000 internet shops dedicated to cross-border e-commerce.

The Electronic World Trade Platform, or eWTP, which is an Alibaba-led initiative aiming to help small and medium-sized enterprises participate in the global market, has been consistently improving.