Tmall, one of the most popular online trade platforms in China, will cooperate with Alibaba Distribution Platform, a service platform, to upgrade stores in residential communities as its brick and mortar stores via brand authorizing.
These physical stores under the brand of Tmall will be smart and well-targeted. For example http://www.newjerseydevilsteamstore.com/adidas-jesper-bratt-jersey , the stores will have convenient supply chain provided by Alibaba Distribution Platform, meanwhile, on the basis of big data, Alibaba Distribution Platform will also give advice on the way of shelf displays and the most popular goods in the neighborhood.
Lin Xiaohai, vice president of Alibaba, said the physical stores of Tmall will be upgraded on the basis of Alibaba Distribution Platform http://www.newjerseydevilsteamstore.com/adidas-jamie-langenbrunner-jersey , which provides a series of services such as ordering goods, logistics, sales marketing, and value added service.
So far, Alibaba Distribution Platform has offered services to about 500,000 stores.
"With the help of big data analysis http://www.newjerseydevilsteamstore.com/adidas-drew-stafford-jersey , traditional small shops will save their costs," said Liu Jianfeng, director of the product center of the platform. "In the future, these Tmall physical stores will receive support from Alibaba Distribution Platform on sales marketing and application of smart technologies."
BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- U.S. investigations into China's trade practices will not fix its trade deficit, but will put one of the world's most important trade ties at risk.
The U.S. government Friday formally launched an investigation into China's intellectual property practices under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.
"China is strongly discontented about such unilateral, protectionist practice," a spokesperson with China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Monday, asking the United States to respect facts and multilateral rules and act with prudence.
INCORRECT PATH
The obscure provision is simply not the answer to today's problem which could be dealt with through dialogue and consultation.
Section 301 allows the U.S. president to impose tariffs and trade restrictions on any country. In the 1980s, the United States used it to force Japan to rein in its exports to the U.S.
It sounds simple, but the reality is much more complex. Sanctions may contravene the United States' membership to the World Trade Organization (WTO). The country has rarely used the provision since the WTO came into being in 1995.
The Institute of International Finance (IIF) warned that a trade war between the United States and China will hurt not only Chinese manufacturers, but also upstream suppliers and downstream distributors, such as U.S. retailers.
Chinese exports to the United States lower U.S. consumer prices by 1 to 1.5 percentage points. In 2015, trade with China allowed American families save 850 dollars, according to a study by the U.S. China Business Council.
In an interconnected world, no country is independent in the global value chain. Everyone would be affected, he added.
RIGHT WAY
It is structural issues that contribute to the trade imbalances between the two countries.
"Tracking a trade deficit is misleading. All that [trade deficit] means is that we in the United States consume more," said Tori K. Whiting, a research associate at Washington-based think tank The Heritage Foundation.
To address the imbalances, both countries should carry out structural reforms rather than just narrow the trade deficit.
China has made progress. Its current account has become more balanced in recent years. The share of its current account surplus to gross domestic product dropped below 2 percent in 2016 http://www.newjerseydevilsteamstore.com/adidas-brian-gibbons-jersey , compared with about 9.9 percent in 2007.
The bilateral trade imbalances between the United States and China can be solved through more trade and investment rather than a trade war, the IIF said.
To balance bilateral trade, the two countries agreed to take action to expand trade in beef and chicken, and increase access for U.S. financial firms, as part of the 100-day action plan.
"Further opening up markets, promoting bilateral investment, and strengthening trade ties at a local level could contribute to stronger and closer economic ties between China and the United States," he said.
BARGAINING CHIP
The IIF pointed out that the U.S. trade deficit is more of a political issue than an economic concern.
The Washington D.C.-based think tank found that the U.S. trade deficit has not deteriorated in the past decade. From 2006 to 2016, the U.S. deficit of goods trade decreased from 6 percent to 4 percent of its GDP. Considering its surplus in the service trade, the U.S. total trade deficit was only 2.7 percent of GDP in 2016.
The imbalance of U.S.-China trade was not built in one day, so it is unrealistic to expect it to be resolved overnight. "It takes time and we have to be patient," he said.