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With a click of the mouse, a transaction can be completed. That's the power of e-commerce.
So, there is no wonder e-commerce companies are a significant part of the second China International Fair for Trade in Services, which opened on Tuesday.
The five-day event, at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, serves as a high-end platform for e-commerce companies to showcase their latest developments and applications to visitors across the world, organizers and officials said.
Sun Yao, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Commerce, said more than 1,300 industry specialists, experts, commerce authorities and corporate representatives had applied to attend the upcoming event.
The participants include a number of high-tech giants including eBay, the Intel China Research Center and JD.com, he said.
The fair's attraction to e-commerce companies can be also seen by the increasing number of new faces.
Lin Ya, vice-president of the Beijing Electronic Commerce Association, said more than 30 percent of the e-commerce companies are participating at the fair for the first time.
Even some companies that had not focused on e-commerce will display their progress in developing e-commerce business in recent years, Lin said.
"This shows that e-commerce has become a broad trend and will help create a better business environment for China's e-commerce industry," he said.
About 30 million yuan ($4.88 million) worth of contracts were signed last year, according to Lin.
He said that e-commerce deals signed at the fair will surpass those of last year.
Forums will be held at the fair to discuss topics including e-commerce applications for traditional companies, mobile e-commerce and the e-commerce ecosystem.
The Ministry of Commerce will release and explain policies related to the industry.
Another highlight of the event will be displays of latest technology to show how e-commerce is changing people's lives.
Among them, the Internet of Things, or the intelligent logistics system based on the Internet, will be in focus.
For instance, JD.com will showcase its new logistics project model, called Asia No 1, and invite visitors to experience the mobile client and 24-hour self-service goods pick-up machines. Oloey.com, which mainly focuses on community services, will display its public platform based on WeChat, a popular mobile communication system in China.
Nie Linhai, deputy inspector of the electric commerce and information department of the Ministry of Commerce, said China's e-commerce industry has witnessed explosive growth in recent years.
Sales in the industry were 1.5 trillion yuan in 2006, but the number rose to 8 trillion yuan in 2012, with an annual increase of more than 30 percent, he said.
However, he also admitted that the industry is still in its initial stages and the uneven regional development is a major problem. The coastal areas have developed faster than Central and West China.
"We hope to accelerate the e-commerce development in those areas that have lagged behind through this event, by sharing resources and strengthening communication," he said.
haonan@chinadaily.com.cn
