Zhuhai has been authorized by Guangdong Province to pilot an e-commerce ecosystem with Hong Kong and Macao along with electronic trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking and Latin American countries.

The province issued notice on Nov 29 that a Zhuhai Comprehensive Cross-Border E-Commerce Pilot Zone will pioneer business-to-business (B2B) technical standards, workflow, supervision modes, and information practices over three years. Reforms it develops to promote foreign trade are to result in experiences and practices that can be replicated and promoted elsewhere in the Greater Bay Area.

Cross-border B2B to be facilitated [Photo courtesy Gongbei Customs]

The pilot zone will also encourage brand enterprises to implement China's "Internet+" strategy that integrates traditional industries with internet technology to optimize e-commerce. It is seen as a new growth pole of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, with extended influence into western Guangdong.

Zhuhai will innovate models and systems for B2B customs clearance, tax collection and management, foreign exchange, and market supervision. Measures will also be taken to create a Zhuhai-Hong Kong-Macao cross-border e-commerce ecosystem.

Furthermore, the city also will build a talent-training system and formulate policies for industrial support, statistical supervision, risk prevention, databases for enterprise credit, information sharing, and big data analysis centers.

Meanwhile, Zhuhai will refine oversight of cross-border e-commerce industrial parks.

A similar pilot zone is to be established in Dongguang.