China Launches Official E-Commerce Portal

China International Electronic Commerce, the Chinese Ministry of Trade and Economic Cooperation’s Internet division, launched a Web site yesterday that will let foreign companies buy products directly from more than 180.000 farms and factories across China.

The site, www.ChinaTradeWorld.com, is supported by a network of over 600 customer service representatives in more than 70 cities in China. Fulfillment is handled in the new port city of Nansha (on the mouth of the Pearl River), which was built to facilitate trade between mainland China and the rest of the world.