— Courtesy China Daily
IN recent years, the deep integration of digital technology and international trade has accelerated the growth of digital trade, which has emerged as a new engine for global trade and economic growth.
According to the 2025 Report on the Development of Global Digital Trade, jointly compiled by the United Nations International Trade Centre and the organising committee of the Global Digital Trade Expo, the scale of global digital trade exports increased from $4.59 trillion to $7.23 trillion between 2020 and 2024, with an average annual growth rate of 12.1 percent, surpassing the global trade growth rate of 9.7pc during the same period.
The Asia-Pacific region, with its vast market size, diverse industrial structure and close economic ties, has become a frontier for digital trade innovation. China’s digital trade development has also accelerated in recent years.
According to the Ministry of Commerce’s report on China’s development of digital trade 2025, the country’s trade in digitally deliverable services exceeded $406.72 billion, a 5.4pc increase from the previous year, while cross-border e-commerce trade reached 2.71 trillion yuan ($403 billion), a 14pc increase, both setting new records. China’s digital trade development not only contributes to its own high-quality trade growth but also injects new momentum into the collaborative development and shared prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region through spillover effects.
