A delegation from Namibia visited Hongqiao 365 in Shanghai on July 2 to learn how imported products reach Chinese consumers through year-round product displays, trade services, and livestreaming e-commerce.
Hongqiao 365 is located near the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), where the China International Import Expo is held.
It is the main year-round trading platform linked to the CIIE, enabling international exhibitors to continue showcasing and selling their products year-round after each annual expo.
The platform currently features more than 85,000 products from over 120 countries and regions, about 70 percent of which were previously exhibited at the CIIE.
The delegates first toured a retail area featuring popular CIIE products, followed by a zone showcasing products and partnerships from Shanghai's friendship cities. There, they learned how the platform helps overseas brands and small and medium-sized companies enter the Chinese market, connect with distributors, and expand their sales channels.
The zone serves as a permanent platform for products and businesses from the city's friendship cities, promoting cultural exchanges, business matchmaking, and market access.
The delegation then visited the livestreaming base, where they learned how livestreaming e-commerce helps quality products reach consumers while enabling CIIE exhibitors to expand their online sales channels.
They also observed a livestream shopping session in progress, gaining a first-hand view of how products are promoted and marketed online.
George Sankwasa Mubita, manager of strategy and organisational performance at the Namibia Institute of Public Administration and Management, said he was impressed by the opportunities e-commerce could create for smaller businesses, noting that "people can create jobs for themselves by selling through e-commerce."
Obrein Muine Samahiya, an economics lecturer at the University of Namibia, also highlighted the convenience and wider reach of online trade.
"Almost everything is going online now, so it is becoming easier for people around the world to trade," he said.
Samahiya said China's zero-tariff policy for eligible African products could help more African goods enter the Chinese market at competitive prices.
"I would imagine that a lot of employment will be created back home in Africa," he said, adding that increased trade could help key industries grow and generate more government revenue for areas such as education and healthcare. "That is why I think it is a very important move by China."
The tour concluded at the Hongqiao International Coffee Harbor, another key facility within Hongqiao 365 that integrates coffee trading, exhibitions, training, and related services.
The visit also prompted discussion of broader cooperation between Namibia and China beyond trade.
Sofia Glenda Nel, an executive producer at the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation, said she hoped universities in Namibia and China could establish more exchange programs.
Such programs would allow Namibian students to study in China while giving Chinese students opportunities to gain first-hand understanding of Africa, she said.
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