CRI听力:China Expects to Become the Largest Retail E-commerce Market in 2013

A recent report issued by the Ministry of Commerce indicates that e-commerce transactions in China last year totaled 5.88 trillion yuan, a 29-percent increase from a year earlier, and accounted for 12.5 percent of the country's GDP.

Li Jinqi, Director of the E-commerce and Information Technology Department at the Ministry of Commerce, says e-commerce has changed the traditional sales model in China.

"In recent years, e-commerce has seen rapid growth in China. It has been integrated into all kinds of aspects of the economic and societal development. Online retailing has boosted the economy and helped more enterprises to grow, which has created jobs for people. Under the current development trend, by 2013, China will likely to become the largest online retail e-commerce market in the world."

Li says the number of online shoppers topped 194 million at the end of 2011.

The report states that so far most large enterprises in China have applied e-commerce in their daily business operations. At the same time, more than 40 percent of small- and medium-sized enterprises in China have used e-commerce platforms for purchasing and marketing. Of the total e-business trade in 2011, 1.7 trillion yuan came from e-business in medium and large companies, a 19-percent increase from 2010.

Li Jinqi says the Chinese government is supporting e-commerce development.

"Thanks to the fast development of information technology, e-commerce has been integrated smoothly into the virtual economy and become an efficient tool of resource distribution. Most of the countries in the world have adopted e-commerce as an important strategy for competition in the global market. Chinese government also encourages better services for small- and medium-size enterprises engaged in e-commerce business. E-commerce is a rising industry in China, and it is also a major channel for the supply and delivery of goods."

But several problems have emerged along with the rapid development of e-commerce. Fraudulent online advertisement and sales traps have damaged consumer confidence in online shopping.

Internet Issue Commentator Wang Zhian from Beijing says the relevant law has to be further improved.

"The law in China is not closely following the rapid development of areas like e-commerce. Legislation always lags behind real life. My suggestion is the government has to take quick action in this respect so that the e-commerce can develop sustainably."

Statistics from China Internet Network Information Center indicate that China's e-commerce transaction volume via third-party online payment platforms saw a jump of about 100 percent for the fifth consecutive year last year. More reliable and safe online sales services are expected to emerge as the market continuous to grow.

For CRI, I'm Liu Min.