China has seen cross-border e-commerce "grow rapidly" in recent years, with imports and exports of these platforms jumping 18.6% year on year to 1.92 trillion yuan (about US$284.5 billion) last year, according to state media.

Xinhua said in a report citing Sheng Qiuping, vice minister of commerce, that the Covid-19 pandemic has led to changes in consumer behavior, boosting demand for online shopping and injecting strong momentum into cross-border e-commerce.

The report noted that since 2015, the State Council, or China's cabinet, has approved the establishment of 132 cross-border e-commerce pilot zones in 30 provincial-level regions.

"The country's cross-border e-commerce imports and exports rose nearly tenfold in the past five years," Sheng said, according to Xinhua, adding that a number of world-leading cross-border e-commerce platforms have emerged in China — relying on manufacturing and market advantages.

To meet the Chinese people's growing demand for varied and high-quality products, cross-border e-commerce platforms have purchased commodities from almost every corner of the world.

Through these platforms, foreign products such as Pakistani powder salt and Bulgarian rose water have grown in popularity among Chinese consumers, the report added.

"With the help of e-commerce, many high-quality brands have taken root in China and ushered in new development opportunities," Sheng added, calling for greater efforts to improve the business environment and provide better services and guidance to cross-border e-commerce companies.