Rewards of e-commerce flow across border bridge

China and Vietnam utilize advanced parcel delivery sector to boost trade, push further into region. Luo Wangshu reports.

Dongxing, a county-level border city in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, is located on the banks of the Beilun River. On the other side of the river in Vietnam lies Mong Cai, with the two cities linked by a bridge.

As a border city, Dongxing not only serves as a link between China and Vietnam, but also to other parts of Southeast Asia.

A crucial component of Dongxing's economy is the booming parcel delivery sector, which provides a boost for the development of e-commerce and foreign trade in the area.

Every day at 8 am, Dongxing "wakes" when the border bridge opens. Crowds of people from both sides of the bridge travel back and forth carrying large bags loaded with specialty products and are eager to do business.

Vietnamese products favored by consumers in China include slippers, coffee, ao dai — a traditional Vietnamese dress — bamboo products, conical hats and herbal ointments.

Some products are sold to tourists, but the majority are purchased by medium and small-sized trading companies, and then sent to customers across China via the expanding parcel delivery network.

On the other side, products made in China, such as clothes and small electronic appliances, are popular with Vietnamese consumers. Small commodities are sent to Dongxing from all over China via the parcel delivery network, and then moved across the bridge before ending up in the hands of Vietnamese customers.

On the main streets of Dongxing, especially the area close to the border gate and bridge, are many parcel delivery companies that operate delivery services in China as well as international logistics operations across the border.

During the day, hordes of couriers can be seen riding electric bikes throughout the city.

On Nov 7 last year, at a Dongxing distribution center of YTO Express, one of China's major parcel delivery companies, workers were busy sorting parcels ahead of the "Double 11" online shopping festival. A large number of parcels destined for Vietnam were placed in big bags in a corner of the center to be handled collectively.

It takes about three days for a parcel to reach Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, from Dongxing, said Liang Yinghua, head of YTO Express in Dongxing and also vice head of the Parcel Delivery Association in Fangchenggang.

Thanks to China's well-devolved parcel delivery network, it is easy to transport parcels from around the country to Dongxing in a short period of time. For example, it takes about three days for a parcel from the small-commodities manufacturing hub of Yiwu in eastern China's Zhejiang province to reach Dongxing. This adds up to six days for a parcel to be transported from Yiwu to Hanoi, Liang said.