A small click can be of enormous benefit to rural areas

Every day we are clicking away on our mobiles, snapping up everything from a tasty snack to a new washing machine or fridge on the nation’s e-commerce platforms.

What I find most impressive about this is that not only does it level out access to goods it also allows traders in more remote parts of the country, or parts of the country lacking a decent retail sector infrastructure, to gain access to millions of potential consumers.

In this respect, e-commerce can play a major role in alleviating rural poverty, and this is something which political advisers and legislators, including representatives of China’s non-Communist parties, are doing, both in words and practical deeds.

The Central Committee of the China National Democratic Construction Association has submitted detailed proposals to the ongoing session of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the nation’s top advisory body, in this regard.

Its proposal on the development of rural e-commerce follows on from the commitment that the party made in 2018 to focus on “developing rural e-commerce and promoting rural revitalization”, which then saw it host a number of briefings by experts in the field and also engage in study tours to research the development of rural e-commerce in Fuzhou, Fujian province, as well as Ganzhou and Ruijin in Jiangxi province.

It noted that while rural e-commerce is an important factor in promoting the revitalization of rural areas, and that it had developed rapidly in recent years, much work still needs to be done, as the overall scale of e-commerce in rural areas remains relatively small — the scale of online shopping in rural areas remains much larger than sales from those areas.

Therefore the CNDCA proposed a number of measures, such as promoting the standardization of products sold from rural areas, strengthening supervision of production processes and cracking down on fake goods, while also urging steps to boost the overall scale of rural e-commerce with the development of farmers’ cooperatives and agricultural enterprises.

Promoting branding and fostering industrial clusters engaged in the intensive processing of agricultural products are also suggested by the party in its proposals to the CPPCC National Committee.

While the CNDCA is taking these important proposals to the nation’s top advisory body, China Zhi Gong Dang, another non-Communist party, has taken practical steps to boost the lot of an agricultural community.

Through its official WeChat account, the party operates an online store through which farmers from Youyang Tujia and Miao autonomous county in Chongqing municipality sell their produce. This is a key element of the party’s Zhi Gong Poverty Alleviation E-commerce Program.

So, wherever you are, you can play your part in the nation’s drive to eradicate poverty by 2020 and also take the opportunity to enjoy some fresh, delicious local produce direct from the source.

I can tell you from my direct experience, having purchased some goods on this platform — delicious spicy sausage and fresh duck eggs — that it is well worth a visit.