Going digital
The flourishing of e- commerce and livestreaming apps contributed greatly to China’s poverty alleviation efforts especially in the remote areas where job opportunities are scarce. The digital economy is now also explored by other developing countries, a trend which carries great significance this year when the world is engulfed by the COVID- 19 pandemic, analysts said.
The chilly sauce produced in Rwanda became a hot product on Chinese e- commerce platform Hema Fresh, which resulted in chilly factories in Kigali, capital of Rwanda, receiving more orders from China. This, in return, facilitates local employment, according to a report by the Xinhua News Agency. “The young local people are more willing to return to their hometown during this special time because the annual income from growing chilly is about five times higher than being a construction worker in cities,” Eric Jing, executive chairman of Ant Group, was cited as saying by the Xinhua report.
This year, Rwanda’s Ambassador to China James Kimonyo has participated in livestreaming five times in China to promote the country’s products, including coffee.
In one livestreaming sales, all 2,000 packs of coffee the embassy prepared sold out in just five minutes.
“This made me feel the huge demand in the Chinese market and the charm of e- commerce,” Kimonyo said, according to Xinhua.
“Markets can change people’s lives, and the access to the market is crucial. The digital market is a very important media in this regard,” Teshome told the Global Times.
This year, several ambassadors from Africa have tried their hand at livestreaming to sell products to Chinese consumers.
Teshome said he is “appreciative” of the fact that different Chinese associations are creating this kind of process to introduce their products to the Chinese market. “We want to cooperate with more Chinese counterparts and associations in online marketing in the future,” he said.
“I’m grateful that China is open to sharing its experience and helping countries like us and many other African countries in need,” Teshome noted. Page Editor: shanjie@ globaltimes. com. cn