The Global Community of Shared Future and Its Influence Mechanisms on China–Latin America
E-commerce Cooperation

La comunidad global de destino compartido y sus
mecanismos de influencia en la cooperación de
comercio electrónico entre China y América Latina

Shiyang Liu
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3075-878X
China Foreign Affairs University. Beijing, China

Fecha de envío: 18 de junio de 2025
Fecha de aceptación:12 de agosto de 2025

Resumen: El concepto de una comunidad global de destino compartido propuesto por China, busca abordar los desafíos globales y promover la prosperidad colectiva. Con base en la teoría institucional y la teoría de capital social, así como el concepto de la comunidad global de destino compartido, este artículo formula un modelo de mecanismos de influencia de este concepto a la colaboración de comercio electrónico entre China y América Latina, que abarca políticas, tecnología, economía, cultura y distribución de riesgos. Se realiza un estudio de caso sobre el Proyecto de Aldea Digital de México para examinar las funciones de estos mecanismos. Los resultados muestran que una comunidad global de destino compartido tiene mecanismos de influencia efectivos que contribuyen al éxito del proyecto. Sin embargo, estrategias como profundizar la apertura institucional, aumentar la inversión conjunta y desarrollar mecanismos de formación intercultural deben implementarse para abordar los desafíos en la cooperación en el área.

Palabras clave: comunidad global de destino compartido, comercio electrónico, cooperación China-América Latina, proyecto de Aldea Digital

Abstract: The concept of a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind (CSFM), proposed by China, seeks to address global challenges and promote collective prosperity. Grounded in institutional theory, social capital theory, and the concept of a global community with a shared future, this article formulates a model of the influential mechanisms of this concept on e-commerce collaboration between China and Latin America, encompassing policies, technology, economy, culture, and risk-sharing. A case study of Mexico’s Digital Village Project is conducted to examine the roles of these mechanisms. The results show that a global community with a shared future has effective influential mechanisms that contribute to the project’s success. However, strategies such as deepening institutional openness, increasing joint investment, and developing intercultural training mechanisms must be implemented to address challenges in cooperation in this area.

Keywords: global community of shared future, electronic commerce, China-Latin America cooperation, digital village project

Introduction

The concept of a Community of Shared Future for Mankind was first proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013 at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, emphasizing that countries should foster partnerships based on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, and collaboration in the context of globalization. This concept was further developed in 2015 into a “five-in-one” framework, encompassing political mutual trust, economic win-win cooperation, cultural mutual learning, collective security, and ecological co-protection. In Latin America, this concept has been operationalized through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In 2018, the Second Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum adopted the “Special Statement on the Belt and Road Initiative”, incorporating Latin America into the BRI cooperation framework. By 2023, China had signed BRI cooperation agreements with 19 Latin American countries, accounting for 56 % of the 34 countries in the region. The State Council Information Office of China (2023) released the white paper “A Global Community of Shared Future: China’s Proposals and Actions in September 2023”, which states the concept of a global community of shared future, and indicates five pathways for a shared future, which include inclusive economic globalization, peaceful development, equitable international relations, genuine multilateralism and universal values with respect for diversity. Following the five pathways can lead different nations to a cooperative world and thrive together through mutual respect and shared progress. This cooperation framework has laid the foundation for deepened international collaboration in the field of e-commerce.

In recent years, the commercial cooperation between China and Latin America has gained progress in quantity and quality. China-Latin America trade volume increased from US$14.84 billion in 2001 to US$518.47 billion in 2024, a roughly 34-fold increase. Since 2012, China has become Latin America’s second-largest trading partner and has gradually become the largest trading partner of South American countries such as Brazil, Chile, and Peru. China and Latin America offer each other a vaster market space. Since 2001, the variety of products imported by China from Latin America has grown faster than that from the US and Europe, providing strong support for export diversification in Latin American countries. (Economic Daily, 2025, May 25) As the quality of bilateral cooperation continues to improve, collaboration in emerging sectors has attracted growing attention and significance. Among these, e-commerce cooperation stands out as a key area of strategic importance. According to data from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the region’s e-commerce market expanded by nearly 30% year-on-year in 2023, reaching US$509 billion, demonstrating strong growth potential. Chinese e-commerce platforms have gained notable traction in Latin America, with surveys by the International Post Corporation indicating that approximately 70% of consumers in Brazil and Chile have made purchases on Chinese cross-border platforms, while penetration rates reached 40% and 30% in Mexico and Argentina, respectively. (Xinhua News Agency, 2024)

Chinese e-commerce companies are accelerating their presence in Latin America through localized operations and supply chain integration. For instance, SHEIN announced plans to invest R$750 million (approximately US$133 million) in Brazil over the coming years while establishing partnerships with 2,000 local garment manufacturers. AliExpress has strengthened its market position by optimizing logistics networks, while social commerce platforms such as TikTok and Kwai continue to enhance their regional operations. (Xie & Chen, 2024) Furthermore, China-LAC e-commerce collaboration is evolving beyond merchandise trade toward deeper industrial chain integration, encompassing platform development, logistics optimization, and payment facilitation.

E-commerce collaboration as an important collaboration form between China and Latin America, has a deep interrelationship with Chinese concept of global community of shared future. On the one hand, the vision of CSFM offers a guide and a value foundation for the e-commerce collaboration. This vision centers on the concept of shared interests, emphasizes that nations must balance their own pursuits with the concerns of others to achieve common development, propelling both sides toward equal consultation and mutual benefit in constructing a new model of digital economic relations. For instance, the China-CELAC Joint Action Plan for Cooperation in Key Areas (2025-2027) explicitly proposes “exploring mechanisms for China-LAC e-commerce cooperation dialogue”. On the other hand, the cooperation serves as a vehicle for the vision. The China-LAC e-commerce collaboration embodies the practical application of the shared future vision. Through cross-border platforms like SHEIN, Temu, digital infrastructure investments such as Huawei’s data centers, and trade facilitation measures like RMB settlement mechanisms in Brazil, both parties achieve technology sharing, market integration, and aligned interests. This synergy reflects the community’s core objectives, which are shared responsibilities and collective development.

However, the influential mechanisms of the Global Community of Shared Future for the e-commerce collaboration between China and Latin America is rarely studied. In this article, we intend to formulate a model of influential mechanisms of this concept to the bilateral e-commerce collaboration. This research has the following three objectives:

1. To propose influential mechanisms based on the Community of shared future for mankind concept and theoretical framework;
2. To demonstrate the generalizability of these mechanisms through multi-case data;
3. To conduct an in-depth single-case study validating the mechanisms’ operational dynamics and interactive effects.

We believe that this study addresses a critical gap in the literature and advances the institutionalization of e-commerce collaboration between China and Latin America. This article is divided into four parts. First, we establish the theoretical and methodological framework of the present research. Second, we analyze the influential mechanisms within the proposed framework. Third, we present a single case study examining Mexico’s Digital Village Project, to validate the model of influential mechanisms. Finally, we present the conclusions.

Theoretical and methodological framework

Institutional theory provides a structural lens for understanding how CSFM shapes China-Latin America e-commerce cooperation. DiMaggio and Powell (1983) introduce institutional isomorphism, comprising coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures, to explain organizational convergence within a field. Coercive isomorphism drives alignment through formal rules and policies, mimetic isomorphism encourages imitation of successful practices, and normative isomorphism fosters shared norms and standards. Scott (2014) extends this framework with three pillars—regulative, normative, and cultural-cognitive. The regulative pillar emphasizes formal rules and compliance, the normative pillar focuses on values and norms, and the cultural-cognitive pillar addresses shared meanings and beliefs. Yan et al. (2023) extends this perspective by demonstrating that institutional distance—differences in regulations, norms, and cognitions between host and home countries—increases the challenges of cross-border e-commerce, such as communication and trust costs, leading to platform exit.

Social capital theory complements institutional theory by addressing relational and cultural dynamics. Coleman (1988) defines social capital as resources embedded in social networks that facilitate collective action, emphasizing trust and reciprocity. Putnam (2000) distinguishes bonding social capital (within-group ties) and bridging social capital (cross-group connections), which support knowledge diffusion and trust-building.

The essence of CSFM lies in the grand harmony and global common good. The researcher Han Qingxiang (2017) delineates five strategic pathways to construct a CSFM, emphasizing global cooperation and mutual benefit. According to Han, the five pathways are promoting interest convergence, fostering cultural exchange and mutual learning, establishing platforms for collective development, creating a just and shared security framework, building cooperative and mutually beneficial partnerships. These pathways serve to guide different countries through the synergy of market, technology, and culture, provide a solid foundation and sustained momentum for China-Latin America e-commerce cooperation.

As mentioned above, this study aims to propose and validate the model of impact mechanisms of the CSFM concept on China-Latin America e-commerce collaboration. In the formulation of the model, multiple China-Latin America e-commerce cases are used to enhance the generalizability of the framework. The data of the cases are collected by literature analysis government reports, academic papers and news, while thematic analysis is applied to identify and validate mechanisms, ensuring methodological rigor. To validate the model, we adopt a single-case study methodology (Yin, 2014), and take the Mexico’s Digital Villages Project as the empirical case, combining literature analysis and thematic analysis. The Mexican project was selected due to its strong alignment with CSFM principles, its importance in the bilateral e-commerce cooperation and its robust dataset.

Formulation and analysis of the main mechanisms of influence

Based on the connotation of the concept of global community of shared future and the development pathways, as well as the institutional theory and the social capital theory, we formulate a model of the five main mechanisms of the global community of shared future for the China-LAC e-commerce collaboration, which are policy coordination, technology empowerment, economic integration, cultural exchange and risk resilience.

The first mechanism of influence is the policy coordination mechanism. The concept of a global community with shared future underscores win-win cooperation and inclusive development in global governance. This philosophy has laid the foundation for policy coordination in China-Latin America e-commerce collaboration, which intends to pursue to reduce the institutional barriers and establish cooperation platforms, as well as realize flexible and inclusive policy adaptation. This mechanism reflects the alignment of rules and policies that facilitate e-commerce cooperation driven by regulative pressures (Scott, 2014) and coercive isomorphism (DiMaggio & Powell, 1983). For example, by 2022, China had signed e-commerce cooperation memorandums of understanding with five Latin American nations, including Chile and Brazil (Yang et al., 2023). These agreements facilitate trade facilitation measures, such as streamlined customs procedures and mutual recognition of digital trade standards. Moreover, in 2023, the upgrade of the China-Peru FTA was realized, which introduced dedicated e-commerce provisions on cross-border data flows, consumer protection, and digital authentication (MOFCOM, 2024). Such policy alignment has tangibly benefited businesses. Chilean cherries, wine, and salmon, for instance, have gained broader access to Chinese consumers through e-commerce platforms. (China Free Trade Zone Service Network, 2017).

Moreover, the policy mechanism also includes the establishment of institutionalized cooperation platforms such as the e-commerce industry alliance like China-LAC Digital Economy Cooperation Forum in May of 2025 in Xi’an, and the Digital economy pilot zones like Huawei-supported data centers in Brazil. These platforms serve as hubs for policy dialogue, technology transfer, and market integration, enabling stakeholders to align regulatory approaches and share best practices. This assertation aligns with the findings of Yan et al. (2023), who argue that institutional distance, like differences in norms, cultures and regulations, may increase foreign companies leaving the market. The CSFM contributes to reduce institutional and cultural obstacles, thus promoting commercial collaboration.

A third element of policy coordination is flexible and inclusive adaptation is also an action within the policy coordination mechanism. China has recognized the diverse developmental stages of Latin American economies, and has adopted tailored cooperation strategies. This argument is also supported by the research of Yan et al., (2023), who highlights that institutional distance—differences in policies, regulations, and cultures between the home and host countries—significantly affects the success of cross-border e-commerce platforms. This implies the need for policy adaptation to navigate diverse institutional contexts, to have a coordinated progress. For example, China realized localized infrastructure investments to establish Cainiao, Alibaba’s logistics hubs, in Mexico, which offers high-efficiency delivery service. Additionally, China also organized capacity-building programs like cross-border e-commerce training for SMEs. We can see that the shared future governance model has enabled China and Latin America to build a resilient, rules-based e-commerce ecosystem.

The second influence mechanism is technology empowerment mechanism. The global community of shared future emphasizes technology sharing and inclusive development, providing systematic support for China-Latin America e-commerce cooperation through three interconnected pathways: joint construction of digital infrastructure, collaborative technological innovation and knowledge sharing. This mechanism not only enhances regional digital connectivity, but also promotes sustainable development in Latin America through shared technological dividends. This is supported by social capital theory (Putnam, 2000) and normative and cultural-cognitive pillars (Scott, 2014).

The technology and innovation are of great importance in the development of e-commerce in Latin America. (Ramírez & Casal, 2022) Chinese enterprises actively participate in Latin American digital infrastructure construction under the Belt and Road Initiative, completing numerous infrastructure projects to assist the local development. AliExpress established smart hub warehouses in Brazil and Mexico, achieving 3-day delivery coverage in major cities. Other technological innovations— including intelligent label recognition algorithms, robotic process automation, and automated inspection systems— have optimized customs efficiency. Moreover, Huawei deployed core network nodes in Mexico and Brazil and collaborated with Latin American operators to construct trans-Pacific submarine cables. This significantly improved internet quality in remote areas, with 5G base density increasing by 40% in Mexico City’s smart transportation network. China has also enhanced Latin America’s e-commerce capabilities through technical training and knowledge sharing. For instance, Alibaba’s Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP) provides training in e-commerce operations and digital marketing for small and medium-sized enterprises in Latin America, strengthening their ability to participate in global markets.

The third mechanism of influence is economic integration, which promotes interest sharing and value chain upgrading. This mechanism stems from the pathway of interest convergence and economic mutual benefit partnership. For example, the upgraded China-Chile Free Trade Agreement (effective 2019) marks a new phase in China-Latin America trade liberalization. Its core lies in achieving reciprocal market opening through institutional arrangements. Chinese consumers gain access to Chilean specialty agricultural products at lower costs; and at the same time Chinese manufactured products obtain price competitiveness in the Chilean market. This mechanism fosters complementarity between agricultural and industrial trade. The economic integration mechanism also leads to agricultural revolution. For instance, tariff reductions combined with e-commerce direct procurement models have made Chilean cherries a signature case in China’s “dining table economy”. Data shows that from January to October in 2024, China imported cherries worth RMB 19.267 billion from Chile, representing a 26 % year-on-year increase. In 2024, Douyin E-commerce partnered with the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association to initiate the “2024-2025 Season Chilean Fruit Exporters Association & Douyin E-commerce Live Marketing” project. This initiative integrates “in-store live streaming” with “wholesale market broadcasts” for the first time. E-commerce platforms like Taobao Tmall and Douyin compress supply chain intermediaries through “origin-direct procurement + cold-chain optimization”, achieving “48-hour delivery from port to consumer” for the first shipment, which greatly enhanced supply chain efficiency. (Wang, 2024)

Another pathway of the economic integration mechanism is the value chain upgrade. Chinese e-commerce enterprises are driving Latin American SMEs to deeply integrate into the global digital trade network through technology exports and value chain restructuring. Via localized collaboration, Latin American economies can develope beyond simple commodity circulation to optimize production processes and enhance overall supply chain efficiency. Many Latin American products now benefit from the solutions characterized by “Chinese digital technology + Latin American specialty products”. For example, in 2025, JD Super signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Argentine Beef Promotion Institute to jointly develop internationally renowned meat brands. This partnership establishes an end-to-end supply chain— from overseas production facilities to Chinese households—ensuring high-quality imported meat products reach domestic consumers efficiently. (Minsheng Weekly, 2025) The development of Latin American e-commerce can be explained by mimetic isomorphism (DiMaggio & Powell, 1983) and regulative and normative pillars (Scott, 2014).

The fourth mechanism of influence is cultural mutual trust, fostering collaboration through cross-cultural adaptation, brand building, and cultural exchange, to enhance mutual understanding, consumer trust, and market competitiveness. This mechanism is drawn from fostering cultural exchange and mutual learning. Social capital theory (Coleman, 1988; Putnam, 2000) and the cultural-cognitive pillar (Scott, 2014) offer the theoretical foundation for the cultural exchange and trust-building. Effective e-commerce cooperation relies on understanding and respecting cultural differences to tailor platform operations to local contexts. For instance, AliExpress has implemented localized strategies in Latin American markets, such as offering Portuguese-language customer service in Brazil and designing promotional campaigns aligned with local festivals. These adaptations which meets Brazilian consumers’ cultural preferences and enhances user engagement and platform accessibility.

Creating culturally resonant brand identities is also of great importance for gaining consumer trust and strengthening market presence. Chinese brands like Huawei has bolstered their recognition in Latin America by organizing cultural events, such as music festivals and sports events, which align with local values and establish emotional ties with consumers. Similarly, Latin American brands like Chilean wines also use numerous strategies to adapt to Chinese cultural preferences, like premium packaging for gift giving, and special promotion on Double 11 Festival, for enhancing brand appeal and consumer acceptance in China.

Within the cultural mechanism, China and Latin America also organize cultural activities to reduce cultural barriers and enhance mutual trust for e-commerce collaboration. Events such as the China-Latin America Cultural Year and the Cross-Border E-commerce Cooperation Forum create platforms for business collaboration to showcase culturally significant products. These activities deepen mutual understanding among Chinese and Latin American consumers on the one hand, and function as an effective promotion for typical products of different countries to attract potential consumers on the other hand. By integrating cross-cultural adaptation, brand building, and cultural exchange, the cultural mutual trust mechanism not only enhances consumer engagement but also fosters sustainable and mutually beneficial e-commerce cooperation between China and Latin America.

The fifth mechanism of influence is risk sharing. This mechanism is integral to China-Latin America e-commerce cooperation, emphasizing sustainable development, crisis response, and collaborative risk mitigation to ensure resilient and environmentally responsible partnerships. In the China-Latin America e-commerce collaboration, they promote green development initiatives and environmentally friendly policies aimed at minimizing the ecological impact of e-commerce activities. For example, Chinese e-commerce platforms like Alibaba promote sustainable packaging and low-carbon logistics in Latin America. Specifically, AliExpress collaborates with local logistics providers in Brazil to adopt recyclable packaging materials, significantly reducing carbon footprints and aligning with global sustainability goals, thereby fostering environmentally conscious consumer trust. Another important manifestation of this mechanism is crisis response to address unforeseen economic, logistical, or geopolitical crises, ensuring the stability of e-commerce cooperation. For instance, the upgraded Protocol to the China-Peru Free Trade Agreement includes provisions to enhance supply chain resilience, mitigating disruptions in global supply chains and ensuring the stable operation of cross-border e-commerce. (MOFCOM News Office, 2024) These bilateral agreements strengthen the capacity of both sides to face crises and tackle difficult situations.

Multilateral cooperation and agreements facilitate the sharing of potential risks, such as market volatility or data security threats, to bolster the resilience of e-commerce ecosystems. This mechanism is rooted in shared security pathway. By leveraging platforms like the China-Latin America Cross-Border E-commerce Cooperation Forum, China and Latin American countries develop coordinated strategies to address risks collectively. These frameworks enable risk diversification, ensuring that challenges like cybersecurity threats or economic fluctuations are managed through shared responsibility and mutual support. In sum, the risk-sharing mechanism strengthens resilience and sustainability in China–Latin America e-commerce cooperation.

Case study: Mexico’s Digital Village Project

Analyzing specific cases of China–Latin America e-commerce cooperation, we can gain a deeper understanding of how the concept of a global community with shared future is applied in practice and its tangible impacts. This approach not only validates the applicability of theoretical analyses, but also provides empirical support for the influence mechanisms that we presented in the previous section of this article. In this section, we examine a representative and impactful case of China-Latin America e-commerce collaboration: Mexico’s Digital Village Project. This analysis explores the project’s background, current implementation status, and resulting benefits.

Mexico’s e-commerce market has experienced rapid growth in recent years. Especially from 2000, Mexico has been adopting new technologies and the growth of e-commerce had a great leap. (González, 2020) converting into one of the fastest-growing e-commerce nations globally. However, rural areas continue to face challenges such as weak digital infrastructure and limited capacity for business transformation. There still exists differences between urban and rural areas in the internet access and telecommunication infrastructure. (Del Valle Soto et al., 2024; García-Mora & Mora-Rivera, 2021) To deal with these problems, Alibaba partnered with local Mexican governments in 2020 to launch the Digital Village Project. According to the standards set by the Aliresearch Institute, in rural areas, a village can be designated as a “Taobao Village” if it meets the following criteria: the annual e-commerce sales volume reaches 10 million yuan, and the number of active online stores in the village reaches 100 or 10 % of the local household count. (Zuo, 2021) The “Taobao Village” form a part of the Chinese strategy of revitalize villages and agriculture with electronic commerce. Research by Zhou & Kang (2025) has shown that the expansion of the number of “Taobao Villages” has a significant positive impact on the level of rural revitalization. “Taobao Villages” enhance rural revitalization, industrial prosperity, and affluent living standards through the effect of employment transfer. and as a result of its positive results, the model has been replicated around the world, with Mexico being a pioneer in its regional implementation. (Morales Estay, 2024) Alibaba’s Digital Villages initiative in Mexico is guided by the same logic as that of the Taobao Villages in recognizing the value of, and need for, small enterprise digitalization in order to increase market access and growth, and to reduce socio-economic inequalities. (Larios-Hernández, 2024) This initiative initially covered five states, eight universities, and 1,500 small and micro enterprises, aiming to drive the digital transformation of traditional industries through training and technical support. In May 2022, the eWTP signed a cooperation agreement with the National Conference of Governors of Mexico (CONAGO) to expand the pilot experience to additional states, with the goal of fostering inclusive economic development in rural areas. (Huanqiu, 2022)

The cooperation mechanisms and implementation pathways of this Digital Village Project are manifested in the following aspects. To begin with, the policy coordination mechanism offers a framework for consultation, collaboration and shared benefits. In May 2022, the eWTP and CONAGO signed a cooperation agreement to advance e-commerce, smart logistics, and digital payments. Referring to China’s successful “Taobao Village” model, this framework supports Mexican SMEs in achieving digital transformation. The agreement establishes a governance structure based on consultation, collaboration, and shared benefits, which builds alignment with local needs and fosters sustainable development. On the other hand, it should be considered that the model of “Taobao” village rely on China’s unique digital infrastructure, state-backed entrepreneurial culture, and dense rural-urban supply chains. So the institutional distance should be considered, and transformations should be made to adapt to Mexico’s distinct socio-economic landscape.

Secondly, the technological empowerment mechanism offers technical support. Alibaba’s international platform facilitates global market access for Mexican enterprises, integrating digital payment and logistics systems. For instance, volcanic stone mortars (molcajetes) from rural villages have significant price and sales increases through e-commerce, with some enterprises reporting revenue growth of 200 %–300 % (Huanqiu, 2022). In Guanajuato, the companies benefiting from the project went from a digital maturity of approximately 33 % to a digital maturity of nearly 75 %. (Vázquez Reyes et al., 2022) Technological empowerment enhances rural enterprises’ competitiveness by bridging the digital divide and enabling global outreach. However, there are also findings that show that the Digital Village solution still haven’t resolve completely the problem of digital differences, for the dissimilarity of infrastructure and platforms in China and Mexico. (Lario-Hernández, 2024; Vázquez Reyes et al., 2022) This reflects the lack of coordination between policies and local reality.

In the Digital Village Project, the economic integration mechanism promotes mutual benefits through trade expansion, value chain extension, and platform development. Alibaba’s platform enables Mexican agricultural products, such as avocados, to enter the Chinese market, achieving market sharing and expanding trade cooperation. This approach strengthens economic ties and fosters win-win outcomes by integrating Mexican products into global value chains.

The cultural mutual trust mechanism facilitates cross-cultural adaptation and brand building to enhance consumer trust, to promote the product selling in e-commerce. For example, project leader Andrés, who studied in China for eight years, combines Chinese e-commerce expertise with Mexican cultural contexts, guiding artisans to adapt to online operations. In Guanajuato, traditional molcajete artisans, initially reliant on offline sales, now export products to Indonesia and South Africa via e-commerce, with prices rising from $9.50 to $200USD (Zhu, 2022). Successful cases, such as carpenters and beekeepers, have alleviated local skepticism toward Chinese e-commerce platforms, building trust and addressing rural “hollowing-out” by inspiring young entrepreneurs (Zhu, 2022). These are cases that prove the important function of cultural mechanism in promoting the bilateral e-commerce.

The Digital Village Project, with the positive influences due to the influential mechanisms, has gain many achievements, such as talents formation, economic benefits, social impacts and sustainable development. The eWTP’s Global Digital Talent program provides Mexico with training in digital economy theory and practical skills, including new retail, smart logistics, and digital marketing. By 2023, over 400 teachers and 8,000 students were trained, forming nearly 1,000 service teams to support enterprise transformation. Mexican participants visited China’s “Taobao Villages” like Bainiu Village in Lin’an and Pearl Village in Zhuji to learn e-commerce operations and live-streaming, and then applied these skills to sell molcajetes and avocados. (Zhu, 2022) In Puebla’s mountainous regions, apple farmers expanded market reach through digital marketing, e-commerce platforms, and smart logistics, increasing profits by 20 %. Some farmers plan to develop value-added products like organic soda and cider and establish guesthouses for apple-picking experiences (Lei & Liu, 2024). The project also has important social impacts. This project replicates China’s “Taobao Village” model, enabling global sales of Mexican specialties like tequila and ceramics through Alibaba’s platform. By showcasing entrepreneurial opportunities, it attracts young people to return to rural areas. This greatly mitigates population outflow and revitalizes local communities. The influx of young entrepreneurs also fosters rural vitality, contributing to sustainable development by encouraging long-term economic and social stability in rural Mexico.

Conclusions

The Mexico Digital Village Project exemplifies multidimensional empowerment through technology, talent, and ecosystems, driven by China-Mexico cooperation. Policy coordination provides institutional frameworks, technological empowerment enhances digital infrastructure and betters technological level, economic integration amplifies trade benefits, and cultural mutual trust promotes bilateral commerce. This initiative not only boosts rural economic vitality, but also offers a replicable model for digital transformation for rural areas of developing countries.

Despite the current development and future potential of China-Latin America e-commerce cooperation, we should not ignore that several challenges exist. First, policy volatility in Latin America poses significant barriers to e-commerce collaboration. For instance, changes in Brazil’s taxation policies on imported goods can alter the cost structures of Chinese e-commerce enterprises. Second, the insufficiency of policy-reality coordination further undermines collaborative efficiency, reflecting a fundamental mismatch between top-down institutional designs and ground-level socioeconomic conditions. Third, China and Latin America have many cultural differences, which create value gaps and trust barriers, leading to the skepticism of local customers toward foreign brands and business models. Language barriers, differing payment habits, and misconceptions about the quality of products also hinder the development of e-commerce enterprises of each side in target market.

To address these challenges, China and Latin America can enhance the mechanisms through the following strategies. First of all, both sides can deepen institutional openness and promote mutual recognition of Digital Trade Rules. By aligning regulations and standards, costs can be reduced, and market access efficiency can be improved. It can also provide a more stable business environment for enterprises on both sides. China and Latin American should increase joint investment in digital infrastructure and technology such as artificial intelligence. These efforts can provide stronger technical support for e-commerce development, particularly by addressing digital infrastructure deficiencies in certain Latin American countries. Moreover, both sides can collaborate to establish a cross-cultural training mechanism to deepen and broaden mutual understanding, and to form a group of talents for cross-cultural communication. In this way, the enterprises can develop more effective marketing and branding strategies in foreign markets.

Through these mechanisms, the concept of a global community of shared future provides a strategic framework for China–Latin America e-commerce cooperation. It also transforms into a sustainable driver of development through concrete practices, establishing a new paradigm for South–South cooperation.

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