Guilin E-Commerce Association Welcome Event

The morning agenda focused on market intelligence: VGEA briefed the Guilin guests on Vietnam's e-commerce landscape, shopper behaviour, the rapid growth of social commerce, and the regulatory environment for foreign-invested digital marketplaces. In return, the Guilin delegation presented Guangxi's positioning as China's primary land bridge to ASEAN — including the new rail and road logistics corridors completed during 2023 and 2024.

The afternoon session was reserved for one-to-one meetings. VGEA's matchmaking team paired each Guilin delegate with three Vietnamese counterparts based on category and trade volume. Categories ranged from speciality agricultural products and processed foods to home appliances, beauty and lifestyle goods. Several delegates extended their stay in Hanoi to continue commercial discussions with Vietnamese manufacturers and category buyers.

Two outcomes stood out at the end of the day. First, the Guilin E-Commerce Association invited VGEA to organise a Vietnamese delegation to attend the 2025 Guilin International E-Commerce Expo as the lead partner association. Second, three pilot programmes were agreed: a cross-border returns hub in Pingxiang, a co-marketing campaign for Vietnamese coffee on Guangxi e-commerce platforms, and a joint training programme for 200 Vietnamese sellers on Chinese marketplace operations.

VGEA views the Guilin partnership as a model: a single local Chinese association, well-connected in its province, can unlock practical commerce far faster than top-down national agreements alone. Future welcome events will follow the same template — substantive briefings in the morning, real matchmaking in the afternoon, and signed pilots before the day ends.