New "digital frontier trade" flourishes in China

People visit the booth of Australia at the 4th RCEP Regional (SHANDONG) Import Commodity Expo in Linyi,内蒙古新闻网手机直播 east China's Shandong Province, June 27, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Suhui)

CHANGCHUN, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Amid the constant hum of scanners and the swift movements of workers, countless parcels zipped along conveyor belts at the cross-border e-commerce supervision center in Hunchun Comprehensive Bonded Zone, located in northeast China's Jilin Province.

Labels were affixed, packages sorted and trucks loaded in a seamless orchestration of activity. These parcels, destined for international delivery, were set to travel along a "digital channel" to households across Russia.

Hunchun, a city in eastern Jilin that shares a border with Russia's Primorsky Krai, has long been known for traditional frontier trade. Today, it is emerging as a dynamic hub for "digital frontier trade."

"When Russian consumers place orders on e-commerce platforms, goods from across China converge in Hunchun. After customs clearance, they are shipped directly to overseas warehouses," explained Li Jinhai, head of e-commerce business at Hunchun Comprehensive Bonded Zone Administration. This efficient cross-border logistics network ensures that "Made in China" products reach Russian consumers faster than ever before.

From January to October of 2025, cross-border e-commerce import and export volume in Hunchun Comprehensive Bonded Zone totaled 8.73 billion yuan (about 1.24 billion U.S. dollars), a striking year-on-year increase of 90.1 percent, cementing its role as a new engine for local foreign trade growth.

At the Northeast Asia Cross-border E-commerce Industrial Park north of this bonded zone, the Northeast Asia International Shopping Mall building stands out. Its first two floors feature exhibition and sales centers showcasing affordable daily goods from Russia, the Republic of Korea and Mongolia. The upper floors offer bright, spacious offices housing diverse businesses.

"We source small appliances like humidifiers and coffee makers, consumer electronics and emerging products like 3D printers from China and sell them directly to Russian customers," said Yan Yuchen, general manager of an e-commerce trade company, which operates stores on major Russian platforms like Ozon and Wildberries, processing around 3,000 orders monthly with annual revenue surpassing 20 million yuan as of December 2025.

Responsive customer service is key to their success. A dedicated team of young employees manages store operations and customer inquiries around the clock.

"Beijing Time is five hours ahead of Moscow. To ensure seamless service, we have staff monitoring and responding to messages even during nighttime hours," Yan noted, while adding that express shipping now delivers most Russian orders within 9 to 13 days.

At Vladivostok's Far Eastern Federal University in Russia, ordering Chinese goods online has become an integral part of campus life. "We often shop on platforms like AliExpress and Ozon for everything from electronics to clothing. Recently, I bought some NBA team merchandise, and the entire experience was smooth and satisfying," shared a student.

As Chinese products reach global consumers, Russian specialties such as scallops, cod, squid, soybean oil and milk powder are increasingly finding their way into Chinese households. At Hunchun-based Jidian International Trade, a display highlights the impact of this digital border trade service platform.

"Through this online platform, residents in border areas can jointly select and purchase Russian goods, which are then processed locally," explained Zhu Yang, the company's general manager.

The platform facilitates remote participation and digital declarations for Chinese buyers, assists businesses in accessing preferential border trade policies and reducing raw material costs, and delivers tangible benefits to Russian suppliers.

Notably, a series of pragmatic measures implemented in Jilin Province have accelerated the international expansion of Chinese parcels. In Hunchun, Cainiao's dedicated logistics line to Russia ensures rapid delivery for packages weighing under 31 kg to most regions across the country.

Meanwhile, cross-border e-commerce road transport has established a "direct corridor" linking Hunchun with Vladivostok and Moscow. In Jilin's capital city Changchun, a specialized customs channel for cross-border e-commerce exports has substantially streamlined the declaration, review and clearance processes for fragmented, small-batch shipments.

In 2024, the province's cross-border e-commerce B2B direct exports surged by 207.8 percent year on year, with more than 200 new cross-border e-commerce enterprises established.

As exemplified by the border city of Hunchun, digital frontier trade between China and Russia is advancing steadily. These "digital corridors" are increasingly serving as vital bridges, fostering higher-quality development and shared prosperity for both nations.