by Yiming Yan

The highly respected Chinese diplomat Xu Yicong welcomed otherwise his counterpart if this were some 30 years ago.  At his home in Beijing on January 19, the Argentine Ambassador to China Gustavo Sabino Vaca Narvaja came to the senior diplomat’s doorway along with Argentine red wine and red shrimp ordered by Xu on JD.com for celebrating the coming of the Chinese New Year of Tiger. Xu is 84, and he was born in the year of tiger.

Ambassador Vaca, together with ambassadors to China from other 8 countries have been designated the Chief Promoting Officers of products from their home countries. Ambassadors have the mission to deliver the Spring Festival package to the doorsteps of Chinese clients who fancy their country’s products and culture.

Ambassador Vaca wearing a face mask

The two diplomat’s unexpected encounter was a memorable moment to a special friendship as Ambassador Xu’s last mission was in Argentina in 1997 and Ambassador Vaca’s first visit to him as an ambassador was in China, The visitor presented a Lionel Messi brand soccer and traditional Maté Tea to the host and received a first-day cover, with Ambassador Xu’s portrait on it as an outstanding Chinese diplomat.

Ambassador Vaca was also handed a commemorative Winter Olympics Beijing 2022 attire by Song Xuewen, a national model worker from JD Logistics, who accompanies ambassadors on delivery. The parties exchanged pleasantries in Spanish and even sang part of a Chinese song together. When parting, the two pointed to the portrait of Che Guevara, a native argentine, at the door and exchanged a quick smile.

The two ambassador encounters

“This first-day cover has been printed for years and few people own it. I didn’t expect to use it for such an occasion.” Ambassador Xu Yicong subsequently wrote in his blog, “The ceremony was simple and succinct, but it did mean a lot.”

According to reports from CCTV, despite the pandemic, exports to China still accounted for 9.8 percent of Argentina’s foreign trade, while 20.4 percent of the country’s imports came from China in 2021. In the first nine months of last year, bilateral trade exceeded $12 billion, increasing more than 20 percent YOY.

On February 19, 2022, China and Argentina will jointly celebrate the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations. The President of Argentina Alberto Fernández will also attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and witness and feel the friendship between the two countries while he is in Beijing.

 

(yanyiming1@jd.com)

by Yiming Yan

One tranquil evening in Beijing, Mr. Zhu’s family and friends were surprised by an unexpected guest at his home. With a package of brandy ordered by Mr. Zhu in hand, Georgian Ambassador Archil Kalandia was invited immediately to join the ongoing New Year’s Eve party.

Ambassadors to China from 9 countries including Argentina, Chile, Denmark, Georgia, Malaysia, Moldova, Peru, Rwanda, and Sri Lanka, along with Mr. Gianpaolo Bruno, the Italian Trade Commissioner who represented the Italian ambassador, operated as temporary couriers to deliver orders of specialty products from these countries. These novice couriers were also given the title of Chief Promoting officers.

Georgian Ambassador Archil Kalandia(left) with the courier

Mr. Zhu, who received the delivery, is a keen fan of Georgia. He has visited the lovely nation and owns a large collection of Georgian wine. Zhu purchased the brandy on a whim for tonight’s New Year’s feast with his buddies, and the ambassador’s unexpected appearance only added to his joy, he said. The ambassador accepted the invitation and gladly joined the banquet, joining everyone in tasting the Georgian wine he had just delivered.

The ambassador introduced the Georgian wine’s 8000 years of lengthy history and the country’s fascinating wine culture to the attendees. Ambassador Kalandia happily combined the Georgian toast of “Gaumarjos,” ( means “Cheers”) and Chinese “Ganbei”(bottoms up) to a “new” word “Ganbeijos”, and after a peal of bursting laughter in the room, everyone finished the wine in their glass.\

Ambassador Archil Kalandia(middle) introducing Georgian wine culture

“Thanks to JD.com, more consumers have the opportunity to taste Georgian wine,” the ambassador said. The ambassador has been in China for 11 years and is pleased to see the pride of his homeland gaining more popularity in China. In 2021, sales of Georgian national wine on JD.com increased by 200 percent YOY.

Georgia hopes to ride on the “Belt and Road” economic express and deepen cooperation with China, Ambassador Kalandia said, noting that the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Georgia and China will be in 2022. Georgia plans to increase the annual export volume of Georgian wine to China by 50% to 12 million bottles in the next two years.

 

(yanyiming1@jd.com)

by Xiaoqian Han

Ahead of the Spring Festival, Mr. Li Xiaobai, a marathon runner with national fame in China and also a JD.com customer, unexpectedly received New Year’s greetings from the Moldovan ambassador H.E. Dumitru Braghis along with previously ordered Moldova wine from JD.com.

This month, JD.com invited nine ambassadors from Argentina, Chile, Denmark, Georgia, Malaysia, Moldova, Peru, Rwanda, and Sri Lanka to become honorary “Chief Promoting Officers” and deliver the specialties of their respective home countries to Chinese consumers. The Moldovan ambassador personally delivered Moldova’s red wine to Li, who had previously ordered the item on JD.com.

“Before I came to China, I didn’t know that e-commerce is so developed here in China,” Moldovan ambassador noted. “I’m very proud JD.com has a Moldovan wine shop where you can buy Moldovan products.” Back in December 2019, Moldova established a national pavilion on JD.com, through which Chinese consumers can learn about and purchases Moldovan red wine.

Moldovan ambassador H.E. Dumitru Braghis delivers a bottle of Moldovan wine to the JD.com consumer Mr. Li Xiaobai

Moldova has the largest underground wine cellar with a total length of more than 200 kilometers, and a 10KM running race had been held in this underground cellar. Li is the first among Chinese marathoners to complete “777 “(running 7 marathons in 7 continents in 7 consecutive days), and he is now planning to develop the 10KM event in Moldova to the first underground marathon in the world. “By doing this, I believe it will greatly enhance the popularity of Moldova wine among Chinese customers,” Li remarked. “I hope we will make it happen as soon as the pandemic is over.”

As an expert who has run marathon events all over the world, Li mentioned, “I always hoped that one day a marathon competition could be held in the underground wine cellars of Moldova,” He and the ambassador look forward to realizing this international marathon in the future.

With the continuous improvement of Chinese consumers’ requirements for the quality and variety of commodities, JD.com’s purchases of imported goods have exceeded RMB 310 billion yuan in the past two years.

 

(hanxiaoqian3@jd.com)

 

by Yuchuan Wang

“When I first came to China in 1991, I hoped to export Chilean wine and fruit to China. But there were few people who believed that, as Chile is far away,” said H.E. Luis Schmidt, the Ambassador of Chile to China, on a special trip to deliver Chilean cherries to JD consumers in Beijing during JD’s Chinese New Year Grand Promotion.

Some 30 years later today, China has become the largest market in the world for Chilean cherries. Last year, 92% of Chilean cherries for export were sold to China.

Wearing a JD courier suit, Ambassador Schmidt rode a JD delivery tricycle and then helped carry a cold chain box full of Chilean cherries to the doorstep of Ms. Zhang, a customer who had ordered the fruit. “The red color of cherries makes it a perfect nianhuo (a Chinese word for merchandise sold for Chinese New Year) during Spring Festival,” Ms. Zhang said.

Chilean Ambassador to China, H.E. Luis Schmidt, riding a JD delivery tricycle to deliver Chilean cherries to Beijing consumers

Chile is the first country from South America that established a National Pavilion on JD.com in 2020, offering products from 30 Chilean brands. In the current Chilean cherry season, JD Fresh, JD.com’s fresh produce business, has increased its direct purchase of the fruit by 300% compared with that of last year’s cherry season.

The company’s import and cross-border e-commerce marketplace, JD Worldwide, has attracted over 20,000 brands from more than 100 countries to launch their business on JD. As a gateway for international brands to China, JD.com has procured RMB 310 billion yuan’s worth of imported products in the last two years to fulfill the increasing demands from Chinese consumers.

Ambassador H.E. Luis Schmidt was among the other eight Ambassadors to China from Argentina, Denmark (Charge D’Affaire), Georgia, Malaysia, Moldova, Peru, Rwanda and Sri Lanka to participate in JD.com’s new year parcel delivery activity. Italian Trade Commissioner Gianpaolo Bruno participated this program on behalf of his ambassador, who was under quarantine upon returning to China.

 

(yuchuan.wang@jd.com)

by Yiming Yan

Ms. Dorthe Lange, Charge D’Affaire with the rank of ambassador of The Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark in Beijing, knocked on the door of a local Beijinger’s home on January 10th and presented her with a Spring Festival delivery of Danish cookies.

Ms. Dorthe Lange together with the courier who is calling the consignee

Escorted by a JD courier, Ms. Dorthe Lange is the only female diplomat to take part in a special mission to deliver their countries’ products to customers in Beijing who had placed orders during JD’s Chinese New Year (CNY) Grand Promotion. Other diplomats who participated in the mission include 8 ambassadors to China from Argentina, Chile, Georgia, Malaysia, Moldova, Peru, Rwanda, and Sri Lanka, and Mr. Gianpaolo Bruno, Italian Trade Commissioner who represented the Italian ambassador in this program. The group was invited by JD.com to be special delivery envoys, delivering Spring Festival packages—along with CNY blessings—to the doorsteps of Chinese customers who have ordered their countries’ products.

The customer who received the visit is a Danish language instructor who fell in love with Danish food after studying and living in Denmark for a year. She welcomed the unexpected guest and invited the ambassador to sit down for a warm chat and shared Danish cookies the ambassador just delivered.

Danish cookies were among the top 5 products sold in Guangdong, Jiangxi, and other provinces during this year’s CNY Grand Promotion, according to data from JD Research Institute for Consumption and Industrial Development, indicating that Danish elements have been integrated into Chinese Spring Festival culture.

Ms. Dorthe Lange’s badge and trophy

“I’m more than delighted to find out that many Danish products can easily reach Chinese consumers on digital platforms like JD.com,” said Ms. Dorthe Lange.

Danish brands like Lego, B&O, and Ecco have taken off and expanded in the Chinese market, as the volume and categories of imported products have been flourishing on JD.com to meet the local consumers’ increasing demand for quality and diversity of goods.

JD has spent more than RMB 310 billion yuan on imported brand items in the last two years, establishing itself as a “gateway for international brands in China”.

(yanyiming1@jd.com)

by Yiming Yan

During a trip home to China, Ma, a Chinese student studying in Peru, ordered Peruvian specialties from JD.com for his family as part of his Spring Festival shopping. The delivery arrived on January 12 as scheduled, but to Ma’s surprise, one of the couriers was none other than the Peruvian Ambassador to China, Luis Quesada.

“I’m very proud that Peru has a very nice relationship with JD.com,” Luis Quesada said during the visit. “We hope that we can offer more diversities of goods for Chinese people to enjoy.”

Ambassador Luis Quesada (right) and the consumer Ma (left)

To celebrate the Chinese New Year (CNY), JD.com invited ambassadors to take part in a mission to deliver their countries’ products to JD’s customers in Beijing. Nine Ambassadors to China from Argentina, Chile, Denmark, Georgia, Malaysia, Moldova, Peru, Rwanda, Sri  Lanka, and Charge D’Affaire of Denmark, Italian Trade Commissioner in China on behalf of the Italian ambassador in this program, have been named as chief promoting officers of products from their home countries to deliver Spring Festival packages to the doorsteps of Chinese customers who ordered products from those countries on JD.com.

Ma, the recipient, moved to Peru to join his father, a Shougang Group employee working in Peru. Ma is currently studying Spanish translation at his father’s job site and recently returned to China for the Chinese New Year festival. He did not expect to encounter the Peruvian ambassador by coincidence while home, he said with a laugh.

When Ma reflected on his conversation with the Ambassador during the delivery, he stated that it inspired him to continue studying Spanish and contribute more to the development of the China-Peru relationship.

Ambassador Luis Quesada with a lantern 

Peru and China have deep ties, with nearly one in every ten Peruvians having Chinese ancestors—and China is currently Peru’s largest trading partner. According to a December 2021 report from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (MINCETUR) of Peru, China-Peru trade accounted for 31.5 percent of Peru’s total trade in the previous 12 months, with total trade from January to September between the two countries reaching $23.153 billion, up 58.2 percent YOY.

In addition to quinoa, chocolate, and lovely alpaca figurines ordered by Ma, many quality goods of Peruvian origin are available on JD.com, which has been committed to meeting domestic consumers’ increasing demand for quality and variety of goods. In the last two years, JD.com’s purchase of imported brand goods has exceeded RMB 310 billion yuan.

 

(yanyiming1@jd.com)

by Yuchuan Wang

With the approaching steps of Chinese New Year, Dr. Palitha Kohona, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to China, knocked on the door of a Beijing couple’s home, with his companion Mr. Sampath Perera, tea promotion officer from the embassy, and a JD courier. His mission was to deliver a new year parcel of a can of premium Ceylon tea to consumers, and to thank them for their purchase of Sri Lanka products.

The couple are tea aficionados, and tea has become an integral part of their lives during their spare time. They even set up a private tea house, where the Ambassador visited. Ambassador Kohona is a tea expert, he showed them how to make the Ceylon black tea on the spot.

Sri Lankan Ambassador to China Dr. Palitha Kohona (left) and Mr. Sampath Perera (right), tea promotion officer from the embassy, celebrate Chinese New Year with a Chinese couple in their Beijing home

The Ambassador said that 15 million kilograms of tea were exported to China from Sri Lanka in 2020, and the country hopes to double the volume within three years. In January 2021, a Sri Lanka national pavilion was launched on JD.com to promote local products including Ceylon tea.

The couple was also lucky to receive a gift from Ambassador Kohona, a carefully selected tea box with a gift card signed by the Ambassador and marked with the national emblem of Sri Lanka.

“It is a rare memory in my diplomatic career to deliver New Year goods to local Chinese with the JD courier,” said the Ambassador. He was excited to have the opportunity to visit a Chinese home, learn about the couple’s lives and enjoy the sweet time spent together like family.

Ambassador Palitha Kohona was among the other eight Ambassadors to China from Argentina, Chile, Denmark, Georgia, Malaysia, Moldova, Peru and Rwanda to participate in JD.com’s new year parcel delivery activity.

 

(yuchuan.wang@jd.com)