WIC releases e-commerce development practice guide for Global South economies

On Nov 3, the E-Commerce Development Practice Guide for Global South Economies was officially released at the main forum of the 2026 World Internet Conference (WIC) Wuzhen Summit.

Building on the WIC's earlier Cross-Border E-Commerce Competitiveness Research Report: Country-Level Analysis, the guide extends its focus from country comparisons to policy practices. It adopts a four-dimensional framework comprising foundational enablers, development levels, operational performances and development potential, and selects 17 indicators using data from the World Bank, the International Telecommunication Union, and other institutions, together with country-specific cases. On this basis, it proposes a five-stage development framework for the economies of emerging nations or the Global South — covering the nascent, take-off, growth, integration and future stages. For each stage, it sets out development goals, strategies and recommendations on policy instruments. The aim is to help economies choose practical pathways suited to their own endowments and to enable more businesses and people to benefit from the evolution of e-commerce.

The practice guide was developed by the WIC Specialized Committee on E-Commerce. Leveraging the expertise of e-commerce specialists and business representatives through its collaborative mechanism, the Specialized Committee developed the practice guide through multiple rounds of country-level research and policy discussions. This was with the active engagement and support of experts in trade and economic affairs across the Global South. The report was released by Sun Ke, a representative of the Specialized Committee and deputy director of the Policy and Economic Research Institute of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology.

Building on these research findings, the Specialized Committee plans to conduct e-commerce capacity-building training through the WIC Digital & AI Academy. The training aims to strengthen the ability of Global South policymakers and business managers to design e-commerce policies and improve business practices. It also seeks to promote the exchange of experience and mutual learning across the Global South, deepen practical cooperation, and enable these economies to share in the opportunities being offered by e-commerce development.

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