Photo: VCG

　　With a simple voice command like "Order 40 cups of milk tea," an AI assistant springs into action, instantly generating the order and completing payment, all done seamlessly.

　　This is a latest example of the new AI shopping service recently launched by Alibaba, reflecting how digital technologies are reshaping e-commerce models in China, accelerating the integration of online platforms with real-world services, and placing greater demands on system coordination and efficiency.

　　As industry rapidly evolves, multiple government departments including China"s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released joint guiding opinions on Monday on better serving the real economy and promoting high-quality development of e-commerce, highlighting areas such as "AI-powered e-commerce" and the promotion of "cross-border e-commerce."

　　The guidance came as China"s e-commerce industry plays an ever-growing role in the country"s real economy. In recent years, China"s e-commerce sector has boomed, maintaining its position as the world"s largest online retail market for 13 consecutive years. It encompasses 26 million domestic businesses and serves 3.2 billion consumers worldwide, said MOFCOM, noting that the rapid integration of online and offline channels has increasingly proven its effectiveness in promoting the high-quality development of the real economy.

　　The high-quality development of e-commerce would help promote a higher level of openness, allowing domestic and foreign companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises, to jointly build and share in China"s vast e-commerce market, experts said.

　　Tech empowers development