Digital technology promotes BRI economic, trade cooperation

Guests are seen at the digital economy exhibition area of the sixth China-Arab States Expo in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, on September 22.First held in 2013, the China-Arab States Expo has become an important platform for China and Arab states to promote pragmatic cooperation and advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation (XINHUA)

In the workshop of a furniture company in the city of Handan, north China's Hebei Province, rolls of cold-rolled sheets with a thickness of only 0.6 mm were being processed into products like intelligent bookcases through multiple processes such as cutting, stamping, electric welding and spraying.

"These complex processes are completed under the control of digital equipment, such as automatic bending machines, which greatly improves the production efficiency and quality of furniture, and enhances the market competitiveness of our products," said Zhang Baixiang, general manager of the Steelite furniture company.

"After digital production, the value of cold-rolled sheets has at least doubled," said Zhang, adding that the company annually produces more than 1 million sets of various types of steel furniture, which have been sold to over 50 countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

While enabling product upgrades, digital technology also effectively solves management problems faced by enterprises after they expand into overseas markets.

In the command room of Chenguang Biotech Group Co., Ltd. in Handan, real-time data on the computer screen records the production and marketing information of the company's headquarters and more than 20 subsidiaries distributed in BRI countries.

"Previously, if the products of a subsidiary were unmarketable, the headquarters could not find out the reasons in time, which would cause difficulties for the next marketing decision," said Lu Qingguo, chairman and general manager of the company.

Digital technology has changed this situation. Now with the help of big data technology, the company has access to any data of a subsidiary even as far away as India, such as the amount of raw material inputs, or content of pigments in its products.

"Digital technology has promoted the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, given birth to cross-border e-commerce, international finance, digital marketing and other business forms, and fostered new economic growth points," said Zhong Zeyu, vice president and secretary general of the China Association of Trade in Services.

In addition, China's digital foreign trade service level is also improving. By building new digital trade platforms and optimizing foreign trade service processes, the country's digital technology is adding new momentum to the economic development of BRI countries and regions.

Based in the city of Langfang, Hebei, Jiajia supply chain management company has independently developed a comprehensive foreign trade service platform. By innovating a new model of internet digital foreign trade, it provides small and medium-sized foreign trade enterprises with full process services, such as commodity inspection and customs clearance, and foreign exchange settlement.

"From January to August, our company's export volume hit $180 million. Exports to BRI countries and regions accounted for more than 20 percent of this volume," said Zhang Wen, general manager of the company.

Zhang added that the company has established overseas warehouses in several BRI countries and regions, with a total floor area of 90,000 square meters.