"Only when Internet technology is closely related with traditional industry, can the role of the Internet be fully utilized and produce profits," said Song Ling, director of the Department for Promotion of Information Technology under the Ministry of Information Industry at the ongoing conference entitled E-commerce During the Period of Globalization, held in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province.
According to Song, China has now over 1,000 electronic commercial websites, of which 677 are B2C types and 370 are B2B ones. The trade volume of the two kinds of websites last year was respectively 390 million yuan and 6.77 billion yuan. The number of ISP in China has also increased to 620.
Though there are different commercial models, such as B2B, B2C and C2C, different electronic commercial platforms and solutions, e-commerce in China lacks technological innovation and overall planning.
Most websites just imitate foreign models, which doesn't suit the Chinese situation and is not beneficial to the overall development.
It is estimated that by 2003, the trade volume of global e-commerce will exceed US$12,000. In the next five to 10 years, the information technology will forge ahead rapidly, the new economy will grow at high speed and global economy will experience important adjustment.
This is a key period for China to fully develop its e-commerce, thereby promoting the industrialization, participation in globalization and realization of modernization.
Facing the opportunities and challenges in global development of information technology, the Chinese government has placed e-commerce high on the agenda in its basic economic construction.
The key task at present is to establish a unified application and service platform with Chinese characteristics. Upon its completion, currently complicated e-commerce can be turned into a simple platform operation, and an advanced service mechanism and infrastructure can be set up, which will facilitate the establishment of a new economic model for e-commerce in traditional enterprises.
Further more, if traditional industries can easily access the platform and realize e-commerce in an advanced and efficient way, they can get more profits.
Song urged representatives and experts at the conference to put forward advanced e-commerce application technology and products suitable to the Chinese situation and make positive contribution to the development of e-commerce and progress of all mankind.
(www.china.org.cn 04/20/2001)
