WIC Specialized Committee on E-commerce Established

On November 7, the inaugural meeting of the World Internet Conference (WIC) Specialized Committee on E-commerce was held in Wuzhen, Zhejiang Province. Ren Xianliang, Secretary-general of WIC, presided over the meeting and delivered concluding remarks.

Ren stated that since its establishment, WIC has been underscoring the critical role of e-commerce in global digital collaboration. The creation of the Specialized Committee on E-Commerce holds significant importance for WIC to fully leverage its role as a global platform for joint development through consultation and collaboration, and to deepen collaboration for global development. The new committee is dedicated to building a platform for global dialogue and exchange, promoting the alignment of international rules and the practices for collaboration in technological innovation, and facilitating the mutual recognition of rules and the matchmaking of industrial resources across regions. The committee aims to make e-commerce "a link connecting global markets and a bridge for sharing digital dividends", and create a more prosperous global marketplace through joint efforts.

The first-term members are from renowned universities, think tanks, industry associations, as well as leading and emerging enterprises from the global e-commerce sector, totaling over 70. Upholding the principle of establishing "an open, equitable, inclusive and sustainable platform for exchange and cooperation in e-commerce", the committee will strive to consolidate international consensus through activities such as thematic discussions, achievement sharing, and issuance of initiatives, thereby promoting the development of economic globalization in a more inclusive and beneficial direction for all.

The inaugural meeting reviewed and adopted the committee's working procedures, as well as the list of the Chief Chair, Chairs, Vice-Chairs, and members. Wang Jinzhen, Former Vice Chairman of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, was elected as the Chief Chair. The Chairs include Tu Xinquan, Dean and Professor of the China Institute for WTO Studies, University of International Business and Economics, and Xue Hong, Professor of the Beijing Normal University and a member of the Advisory Committee of the United Nations Network of Experts for Paperless Trade and Transport in Asia and the Pacific (UNNExT). The Vice-Chairs include Glenn Bosmans, Vice Chairman of the Organization for Trade Development and Standards Collaboration (ODCCN), Chu Xiangyin, Former Member of the Party Leadership Group, Former Deputy Director of the Beijing Sub-Council of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and Former Dean of the School of International Trade and Economics of the University of International Business and Economics, El Hadji Abdourahmane Ndione, Chair of ISO/DEVCO, and Song Juntao, Secretary-General of the Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP).

Member organizations include Alibaba Group, the Arab Information and Communication Technologies Organization (AICTO), Baidu, JD.com, the E-Governance and Internet Governance Foundation for Africa (EGIGFA), the Hong Kong Association of Interactive Marketing (HKAIM), the British Standards Institution (BSI), and ChinaEU, among others. Among the invited experts are Dato' Yeefei Ku, Deputy Director of the Digital Economy Group of the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Li Mingtao, Chief E-Commerce Expert of the China International Electronic Commerce Center of the Ministry of Commerce of China, Zheng Min, Chairman of Ebrun Inc., and Zhao Quan, Senior Project Officer for Trade Policy of the Market Development Division of the International Trade Center (ITC), among others. Observers include Google China, E.VAT Master, Ozon, Jumia, and more.

Wang Jinzhen, speaking on behalf of the governing body of the committee, delivered a speech introducing the committee's work plan for 2026. He stated that the committee will fully leverage its front-end role to make it a globally credible platform for exchange and collaboration in the field of digital trade. Efforts will be made to contribute to a new future for e-commerce, which highlights greater openness and inclusiveness and underlines mutual benefits and win-win results. The meeting was attended by the Chief Chair, Chairs, Vice-Chairs, member organizations, invited experts, and observers of the committee.

(Source: WIC)