An employee of Alibaba.com introduces the platform to visitors at the 31st East China Fair in Shanghai on July 14. [Photo by Hu Xiaoyu]

Liu Sen, an employee of a Jiangsu-based e-commerce technology company, has met several potential customers at the 31st East China Fair held in Shanghai from July 12 to 15.

"We embarked on cross-border e-commerce business about eight years ago and have helped more than 200 enterprises expand in overseas markets through various online platforms," said Liu, who is in charge of the cross-border consultation department.

Liu's company, which is taking part in the fair for the first time, is aiming to establish partnerships with more enterprises that intend to enter the cross-border e-commerce sector.

"Cross-border e-commerce will be a long-lasting business that keeps growing. It is the primary choice for foreign trade enterprises and factories to expand their sales overseas," Liu added.

This year's ECF has set up a special exhibition area for cross-border e-commerce that consists of three parts featuring cross-border e-commerce platforms, service providers, and industrial parks.

The 231 exhibitors attending the event include Liu's company, as well as many well-known market players such as Amazon, Alibaba.com, Google, Lufthansa Cargo, and Standard Chartered.

"Lufthansa has paid much attention to the cross-border e-commerce trade and introduced an extensive array of transport solutions in recent years," said a representative of Lufthansa Cargo. The German air shipper is displaying its three brands, including the time-critical logistics subsidiary Time:Matters and the digital startup Heyworld.

"Our display is designed for the Chinese market and is aimed at promoting our brands and letting people know what we do and where we are," the representative added.

Stanlogy Shanghai Co, which is operating a one-stop platform for international trade AnyCase, hopes to showcase its new system to the audience.

"The ECF is an influential event and we can find many customers here," said Zhang Xiaoyong, marketing director of the company.

An experience area has been set up at the company's booth where visitors can experience the system under the guidance of their employees.

"The ECF offers a great opportunity for us to have in-depth communication with our clients and to directly showcase the advantages of our products," Zhang said.

"Payment is an essential part of cross-border e-commerce trade and that's why we are here," said Yin Zhaolong, a staffer of the Shanghai branch of Zhejiang Tailong Commercial Bank.

The bank focuses on financing and cross-border e-commerce settlement for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. According to Yin, the bank is offering a commission reduction for one year to MSME operators who register on their payment platform "emaitong".

"Many MSMEs are attending the ECF and we hope to play a supportive role in helping them go global," Yin said.

Cross-border e-commerce has become a new driving force for China's foreign trade development, and a new channel for enterprises' transformation, upgrading and high-quality development.

The value of China's cross-border e-commerce imports and exports was 2.1 trillion yuan ($294 billion) in 2022, exceeding 2 trillion yuan for the first time, according to a report released by the General Administration of Customs in June.