MHESI-NXPO and the College of Art, Media and Technology (CAMT) of Chiang Mai University visited China on 17-20 June 2024 for a study on cross-border e-commerce and e-commerce incubator programs under the Thai-China CBEC Excellence Program for Startups Project. Ms. Manunya Chunhavuthiyanon, Division Director of Innovation Ecosystem for Enhancing Capability of Enterprises at NXPO, Asst. Prof. Dr. Worawit Janchai, Dean of CAMT,Dr. Danaitun Pongpatcharatrontep, Associate Dean and Director of the China Intelligence Centre (CIC) at CAMT, and delegates visited Jinhua and Yiwu, located in Zhejiang Province.
Yiwu is home to the Yiwu International Trade City, the largest wholesale market complex in China. The complex comprises five buildings with a variety of products. The delegation visited Building 1, which focuses on toys, jewelry, and home decorations.
Visitors to the Market can conduct business directly with manufacturers. Shops are rated by the Market and customer reviews for the quality of products and services. Many shops, especially jewelry shops, emphasize unique designs and self-manufacturing. The delegation also visited Building 5, which sells imported goods from around the world, representing a vital trading center for small retailers and consumers.
Following the Yiwu International Trade Market, the team visited a package sorting and distribution center of China Post. The 20,000-sq. m. facility handles over 200,000 packages per day with a 99.99% sorting accuracy. The volume of outbound packages from Yiwu exceeds that of inbound packages. The center also has special shipping routes dedicated to the United States and Japan.
The delegation also visited Lizu Village, a model for rural development. Lizu was a poverty-stricken village, resulting in villagers migrating to other cities for employment opportunities. Through the development plan initiated by President Xi Jinping when he was the Zhejiang Provincial Party Secretary, Lizu’s annual per capita income has risen from CNY 5,000 (THN 25,000) to over CNY 100,000 (THB 500,000). The success was attributed to infrastructure development, such as high-speed rail and logistics systems, and the establishment of Yiwu International Trade City, resulting in substantial job creation.
In Jinhua, NXPO participated in the MOU signing between CAMT, Chiang Mai University, and the College of Economics and Management, Zhejiang Normal University. This collaboration aims to facilitate student exchanges and internships for Thai students in Chinese companies. The College of Economics and Management specializes in cross-border e-commerce education and has established China-Africa International Business School to develop professionals in this field. The delegation visited a cross-border e-commerce classroom, which use visualization platforms to simulate various stages of the e-commerce supply chain. The simulation programs, developed by faculty members, has been spun off into a company and is now used for cross-border e-commerce education in universities across China.
The delegates visited the School of Entrepreneurship, Yiwu Industrial & Commercial College (YWICC). YWICC has been recognized by Alibaba as a world-class e-commerce university. It offers programs training students to build e-commerce businesses. Yiwu’s strength as the world’s largest wholesale market allows students to sell products on e-commerce platforms and live commerce, earning income during their study and gaining practical experience. During the visit, NXPO participated in the launch event of the Thai-China Startups Center and the MOU signing between CAMT and YWICC School of Entrepreneurship. In her speech, Ms. Manunya Chunhavuthiyanon highlighted NXPO’s role in developing policies and measures using higher education, science, research, and innovation to support Thailand’s transition to an innovation-driven economy and a high-income country. She congratulated both CAMT and YWICC for their collaboration, which would foster knowledge exchange.
At the Yiwu Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone, the delegation visited the fulfillment center of KaiCang, equipped with a state-of-the-art logistic system system providing comprehensive services from warehousing, to customs clearance and delivery.
The last stop was the Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe China Railway (YXE). This railway route transports goods from Asia to Europe, starting in Yiwu and ending in Madrid, Spain, taking 17-18 days. It can transport frozen meat and seafood. In 2023, this railway handled over CNY 30 billion (THB 150 billion) in total of import and export goods.
