Amazon courting eager Chinese consumers through its Japan website

Amazon Japan's shopping portal in simplified Chinese plans to add to the millions of products it currently offers, the company said.

"Things in Japan are well made and high quality, and the packages are cute," Qian Jing, 31, an employee of an entertainment company in Wuhan, told Bloomberg. "The Chinese version of the website makes shopping much easier. It was hard (before) for people who don't understand Japanese."

Cheung said the company "used to have only one option for shipping to China, and we added a lower shipping cost to China as well".

For its part, Hanghzou-based Alibaba recently announced a partnership with the French insurance agency, AXA, to provide consumers with insurance for goods bought through Alibaba's e-commerce platform.

The partnership is aimed at reducing online shoppers' fears about counterfeit goods on Alibaba's website. Jack Ma's company has faced allegations of not removing knockoff items.

On AliExpress, AXA would develop and provide insurance products for global customers, such as extended warranties for repairs and/or damaged goods and enhanced online-payment protection; on Alibaba's wholesale marketplaces (Alibaba.com, 1688.com), AXA would provide insurance products to small and medium businesses worldwide that are trading on the platforms, and AXA, through Alibaba affiliate Ant Financial Services, would offer travel insurance products for Chinese travelers going overseas.

"Our collaboration with industry leader AXA is a key part of Alibaba's globalization strategy and our vision to enable small businesses and consumers alike to enjoy the convenience and benefits of e-commerce in a safe trading environment," Alibaba President Michael Evans said in an AXA release.

Hatty Liu contributed to this story. Contact the writer at williamhennelly@chinadailyusa.com