100 Trainees from Developing Countries to Join International Cross-Border E-Commerce Talent Program

The “International Cross-Border E-Commerce Trade Talent Training Base” has officially been established in Shanghai, according to an announcement made at the 2nd China International Cross-Border E-Commerce Development Summit Forum during the recent China International Import Expo (CIIE). After the forum, Red Star News interviewed Shen Yuehua, Secretary-General of the Cross-Border E-Commerce Committee of the China Electronics Chamber of Commerce, who revealed that next year the base will enroll 100 trainees from developing countries for training.
One of the forum’s biggest highlights was the signing of a cooperation memorandum between the China Electronics Chamber of Commerce and the United Nations International Trade Centre (ITC). Under the agreement, the “International Cross-Border E-Commerce Trade Talent Training Base” will be located in Shanghai’s Minhang District, supported by the Minhang District Government and the Shanghai Hongqiao Central Business District Administration. The program aims to help developing countries leverage e-commerce to participate in international trade. In the future, similar international cooperation and talent development activities will become regular events between the two parties.

According to Shen, the program is a free “assistance initiative” designed to support cross-border e-commerce talent from developing and underdeveloped regions. Initially, participants will come from developing countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, with applications from developed countries not being accepted.
Shen stated that 80% of the participants should have work experience, though students are also welcome to apply. “They don’t necessarily need prior cross-border e-commerce experience — anyone with an interest in the field is welcome,” she emphasized. The program will also require a certain level of English proficiency.
The program is expected to launch in 2020, with the first group of 100 trainees coming to China for a six-month to one-year training period. “The training will be highly practical, combining academic courses with hands-on operations on enterprise platforms,” Shen explained. University professors will teach the core cross-border curriculum, supplemented by sessions from entrepreneurs and specialized training institutions.

Detailed implementation measures will be released next month. Shen said that dozens of interested universities and major global e-commerce platforms — including Alibaba, eBay, and Southeast Asia’s Shopee — will be invited to participate in discussions to finalize the plan.
“These discussions will determine training standards such as curriculum content, instructional hours, and responsibilities, as well as the internship duration,” Shen noted. Eligibility criteria for participating enterprises and trainees will also be defined. Once finalized, the ITC website will publish the application link, and qualified candidates will be invited for interviews.
Shen described the cooperation memorandum as an important step in building a platform for talent development and exchange, giving international participants the opportunity to visit China and explore development opportunities.

Red Star News learned that in April 2020, the China Electronics Chamber of Commerce will again organize Chinese enterprises to attend the 6th UNCTAD E-Commerce Week at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The 2020 Global Cross-Border E-Commerce International Dialogue Summit will be held during the event, where updates on the training program will be announced and further international cooperation projects will be discussed.

The strength of China’s e-commerce sector continues to draw global attention.
“In 2018, China’s e-commerce transaction volume reached USD 60 billion, with 80% of Chinese consumers using mobile payments, compared to only 30% in the United States. This significant gap is one reason I believe China is a global leader in e-commerce,” said Saeed, Senior Trade Policy Advisor at ITC. His colleagues also revealed that the ITC will work with the China Electronics Chamber of Commerce, Alibaba, eBay, and DHL to help SMEs from developing countries enter international markets by leveraging global platforms and resources.
“China’s leadership in cross-border e-commerce is almost universally recognized,” Shen added, noting that this makes the talent program easy to promote in developing countries. Furthermore, international talent exchanges will provide valuable data for shaping industry standards.
This is the first international cross-border e-commerce talent training base in the world. “It will promote international exchange, which fundamentally depends on the interaction and mobility of talent,” Shen said.

As for the future of the 100 trainees after completing the program, Shen explained that the training will be linked to the cross-border e-commerce sector in their home countries.
“For example, if a participant is from Africa, their internship placement will be in a company with business related to Africa,” she said. After the program, participants may choose to stay and work in China or return home to start a business or seek employment.
“Either choice benefits the development of international cross-border e-commerce,” Shen noted. “If they stay, China gains highly skilled talent. If they return home to start businesses, they will likely remain connected with Chinese companies as upstream or downstream partners.”

China Electronics Chamber of Commerce President Wang Ning emphasized the urgency of “cultivating more professional cross-border e-commerce trade talent” as part of four key recommendations for advancing global cross-border e-commerce:
1.Expedite the development of global e-commerce cross-border trade facilitation rules.
2.Improve the cross-border e-commerce standards system, including quality certification, transactions, taxation, training, and credit standards.
3.Establish globally unified cross-border e-commerce tax rates and customs clearance rules.
4.Accelerate the training of professional cross-border e-commerce talent.
5.Only by establishing these universal rules can global cross-border e-commerce develop faster, allowing consumers worldwide to enjoy the convenience and benefits it brings, while enabling more developing countries to share in the real gains.

Shanghai’s Hongqiao area has been assigned a new mission in developing international cross-border e-commerce. Recently, Shanghai issued the Action Plan for Accelerating the Construction of the Hongqiao Business District and Building an International Open Hub, which outlines measures to develop new industry chains for cross-border e-commerce, new retail, and multinational procurement in the district.

According to Jin Guojun, Deputy Director of the Hongqiao Business District Administration, the area will become a hub for cross-border digital trade services and a key base for the city’s digital trade port. “In the future, we will take on the mission of building the Hongqiao International Open Hub, developing an international central business district and a new platform for international trade, with a focus on cultivating new trade formats such as digital trade, technology trade, port trade, and e-commerce,” Jin said.