Recently, a new artificial intelligence (AI) technology has been implemented in small commodities hub Yiwu, East China's Zhejiang Province, helping local business owners engage with foreign traders in 36 different languages. 

The latest implementation of AI in Yiwu shows advancements in digital technology revolutionizing China's foreign trade landscape, offering unprecedented convenience and efficiency. It is reshaping the way business is conducted and providing numerous benefits to both exporters and importers.

Developed by Chinagoods AI Smart Service Platform, it allows business owners in Yiwu to seamlessly switch between various languages, enabling smooth communication with foreign traders from around the world. Chinagoods is the official B2B E-commerce platform of Yiwu International Trade Market.

As one of the AI technologies developed by the platform, it allows users to upload a short video, which can be translated into 36 languages, including English, French, German, Russian, Spanish and Arabic.

A Yiwu toy seller, Sun Lijuan, one of the first merchants to experience this functionality, was thrilled by the technology. 

"After sharing the video, many people are amazed by my impressive Arabic skills. The voice and lip movements in the translated video matched my own, creating a realistic and authentic experience," Sun told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Sun said that technology has revolutionized the way she conducts business, facilitating better communication with customers and helps save costs.

As 50 percent of her clients come from the Middle East, where English is not their native language, professional translation can be challenging, especially when dealing with technical terms. With this technology, Sun can directly send AI generated product descriptions to her customers, eliminating the need for translation services.

Another Yiwu business owner, Wang Xiaoli, who specializes in Christmas decorations, has also tried the AI translation feature in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

"The results are incredibly realistic and convenient," Wang told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

AI technology is also helping vendors adapting to a competitive market. 

It is crucial to maintain innovation and regularly introduce new products. AI can be instrumental in achieving this goal, for example, in the realm of doll clothing design, Sun said. 

"By utilizing AI-assisted design features, such as generating AI-rendered images of doll clothes, I can conveniently preview the final product before production. This not only helps in saving on design costs but also ensures a more efficient and effective design process," Sun added.

In addition to AI translation, Yiwu also provides a range of other AI functionalities, such as AI-generated online streaming hosts known as "digital human" and one-step product launch and release.

According to Chinagoods, the AI-generated "digital human" is capable of 24/7 online streaming at a significantly lower cost compared to real human hosts. Additionally, with its AI product launch function, it assists vendors in enhancing work efficiency by generating product main images and information with just a single click.

Digital technologies and services are facilitating China's foreign trade landscape. 

According to a report on China's digital trade development released at the second Global Digital Trade Expo, in 2022, the country's digitally-delivered services trade value rose 3.4 percent year-on-year to $372.71 billion, accounting for around 9 percent of the global total, while the import and export scale of cross-border e-commerce totaled around $296.3 billion, expanding 9.8 percent year-on-year, Xinhua News Agency reported. 

China ranks 11th on the Global Innovation Index 2022 released by the World Intellectual Property Organization, up 23 places from its 2012 ranking. Meanwhile, Massachusetts-based International Data Corp (IDC) predicted in May that China's AI market will exceed $26 billion by 2026.