The GMV of Alibaba.com has increased 25-fold in the past seven years; The overseas box office of "Ne Zha 2" has exceeded 100 million; Amazon's sales

In 2025, the global business landscape has undergone a profound reshuffle, and "going global" has become the core path for enterprises to break through the involution. Cross - border e - commerce and AI technology are driving industrial transformation on two wheels: the GMV of Alibaba.com has skyrocketed 25 times in seven years, verifying the ability of digital trade to reshape traditional links; Elon Musk has opened Grok3 for free commercial use, accelerating the process of AI popularization.

While technological iterations are reshaping the global value chain, the infrastructure demand in emerging markets and geopolitical risks have become dual variables. Amazon's revenue exceeding Walmart's for the first time confirms the generational revolution in e - commerce. Academician Wang Jian's assertion that "AI is a tool for scientific revolution" reveals that artificial intelligence is penetrating from the application layer to basic research.

Let's read this week's overseas expansion news to learn about the latest trends in going global.

Alibaba's earnings report released: Alibaba.com shines, with GMV growing 25 times in nearly 7 years

On February 20, Alibaba released its latest quarterly earnings report, which exceeded market expectations, and its stock price soared nearly 15% at one point. At the earnings conference call for analysts that night, Alibaba.com, the B2B cross - border e - commerce business, was highly anticipated. Alibaba specifically mentioned that in the next few years, B2B will maintain a stable growth trend.

The quarterly earnings report data shows that Alibaba.com's year - on - year growth of 18% is a highlight. Looking at the data over a longer time frame, the GMV of Alibaba.com has grown 25 times in nearly 7 years and has always maintained rapid growth over the years. The core indicators in many overseas markets have also been rising rapidly. In Europe, the recent order volume has increased by more than 70% year - on - year according to the lunar calendar. (36Kr)

The overseas box office of "Ne Zha 2" has exceeded 100 million yuan

On the evening of February 20, Huaren Pictures, responsible for the overseas distribution of the Chinese animated film "Ne Zha: Reborn from the Demon (Ne Zha 2)", announced that the overseas box office of "Ne Zha 2" has currently exceeded 100 million yuan. The film was released in 945 theaters in North America upon its opening, which is the largest - scale release of a Chinese - language film from the Chinese mainland in North America. (Jiemian News)

South Korea bans new users from downloading DeepSeek due to concerns about "personal information protection" issues

It is reported that the South Korean government said on February 17 that due to concerns about the Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) application DeepSeek, it has suspended the download of this application. The South Korean Personal Information Protection Commission said that the service was suspended at 6 p.m. on February 15 and will resume after "improvements and repairs" in accordance with South Korea's personal information protection regulations.

Previously, several South Korean government departments and institutions had blocked access to the DeepSeek service. According to the website of South Korea's Chosun Ilbo, the South Korean Personal Information Protection Commission believes that DeepSeek needs a considerable amount of time to make modifications to meet the requirements of personal information protection regulations, so it has decided to suspend its download in the South Korean app market. After the implementation of this measure, existing users can still use the service normally, but new users' downloads will be restricted. (Reference News)

Vietnam proposes to exempt imported goods worth less than 2 million Vietnamese dong from tariffs

The Vietnamese Ministry of Finance has recently proposed to exempt imported goods worth no more than 2 million Vietnamese dong (about $78) purchased through e - commerce platforms from import tariffs, with an annual purchase limit of 9.6 million Vietnamese dong (about $3,781). According to the draft decree of the ministry on the customs management of e - commerce imported goods, goods worth more than 2 million Vietnamese dong or exceeding the duty - free limit will be subject to import duties on the full order amount. It is worth noting that since February 18, 2025, Vietnam has officially abolished the value - added tax exemption policy for imported goods worth no more than 1 million Vietnamese dong. (Baijing Cross - border)

Indonesia plans to vigorously build electric bus charging stations, increasing the number to 20 times the current level by 2030

According to Xinhua News Agency, the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said on February 18 that Indonesia plans to build 63,000 electric bus charging stations across the country by 2030 to accelerate the development of electric vehicles and reduce dependence on imported fuel. Jisman Hutajulu, the director of the Electricity Department of the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, said at a seminar held on the same day that this plan will significantly increase the number of charging stations in Indonesia. "Currently, there are 3,233 electric bus charging stations in operation across the country, and according to the plan, this number will increase to 63,000 in the future." (Xinhua News Agency)

South Korea is reported to build the world's largest AI data center

It is reported that South Korea will build the world's largest artificial intelligence (AI) data center. The power capacity of this data center will reach 3 gigawatts, about three times the size of the "Stargate" data center, and it will cost up to $35 billion. The project is led by the Stock Farm Road investment group jointly founded by Brian Koo, the grandson of the founder of LG, and investor Amin Badr Eldin. (Caixin Lianhe)

Thailand joins hands with e - commerce platforms to comprehensively suspend the sales of 1,670 infringing products

According to Thai media reports, the Thai Intellectual Property Department has joined hands with platforms such as Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok Shop to successfully suspend the online sales of 1,670 infringing products. Ms. Nusara Kanchanakul, the director of the Intellectual Property Department, revealed that in 2021, the department signed a memorandum of understanding on the protection of intellectual property rights on the Internet with government agencies, intellectual property owners, and online platform owners, including major e - commerce platforms such as Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok Shop. She said that currently, 39 enterprises have signed the memorandum of understanding, requesting to stop the sales of 1,670 infringing products on online platforms. (Baijing Cross - border)

Australia will ban foreigners from buying existing homes for two years to ease the housing supply shortage

The Australian government said on February 16 that it will ban foreign investors from buying existing homes in the country for two years to increase the housing supply. Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Housing Minister Julie Collins said in a statement: "We will ban foreign investors from buying existing homes from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2027." The statement also said that a review will be conducted on whether to extend the ban. Last year, Australians' dissatisfaction with the housing problem reached an all - time high, and it is expected that this issue will dominate the general election in May. Collins said that the ban is expected to free up about 1,800 properties for local buyers each year. (Sina Finance)

xAI under Elon Musk announces that Grok 3 is available for free use "until the servers crash"

On February 20, xAI, an artificial intelligence company under Elon Musk, announced that Grok 3 is now available for free use (until the servers crash). Users subscribing to the X Premium+ and SuperGrok services will not only have priority access to advanced features such as the voice mode but also gain in - depth usage rights to Grok 3.

After the announcement, Musk posted a screenshot of the free app download ranking on the Apple App Store, showing that the Grok APP had surpassed the ChatGPT app to top the list. Musk boasted in the caption: "There is no voice mode yet, and there are many other features to be launched in the next few days." xAI just launched Grok 3 on February 18. (Jiemian News)

OPPO will focus on the European market in 2025

"OPPO will focus more on developing the European market this year because we understand the European market better than before." On February 19, one day before the launch of OPPO's new large - foldable phone Find N5, Zhang Zhouchuan, the president of OPPO's overseas marketing and service, said in an interview with Caixin and other media that OPPO previously thought the European market was difficult and entered it relatively late. This year, OPPO will focus on the European market, which is an adjustment based on the improved understanding. He said that OPPO had previously set a goal of at least double - digit growth in sales, and it is expected that this goal will definitely be exceeded this year. (Caixin.com)

Starbucks will open 500 new stores in the Middle East in the next five years

Starbucks is seeking to expand in the Middle East and plans to open hundreds of new stores. Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol said in an interview on February 14 that the company plans to open about 500 new stores in the Middle East in the next five years, creating 5,000 new jobs. Starbucks currently has more than 1,300 stores in the region.

Last year, the coffee chain was boycotted by customers, being accused of not doing enough to pressure Israel to stop its offensive in Gaza. The company said that the boycott had a significant impact on the customer flow and sales in the Middle East and also put pressure on its US business. In addition to the Middle East, Niccol said that Starbucks will open thousands of new stores in China in the future. (Jiemian News)

After TikTok returns to the US app stores, its download volume doubles, while that of Xiaohongshu plunges

According to IT Home on February 21, Bloomberg reported that since TikTok was re - listed on the US Apple App Store and Google Play app store, the download volume of its competitor Xiaohongshu has dropped sharply.

According to data from app analytics company Sensor Tower, within five days after TikTok was re - listed, the download volume of Xiaohongshu decreased by 91%. Xiaohongshu, also known as "Rednote", once saw a surge in popularity when the news that TikTok might be banned in the US came out. Nevertheless, Sensor Tower said that the daily active user count of Xiaohongshu is still about a quarter higher than before TikTok was removed from the app stores. (IT Home)

It is reported that OpenAI's GPT - 4.5 is expected to be released as early as next week, and GPT - 5 may be released in late May

It is understood that Microsoft is preparing for OpenAI's latest model. It is expected that GPT - 4.5 may be released as early as next week, and Microsoft expects that GPT - 5 will be released in late May. The updated GPT - 5 will make significant improvements to the way ChatGPT is used, unify OpenAI's o - series and GPT - series models, and reduce users' confusion in choosing models. (36Kr)

TikTok e - commerce aims for 400% growth in the US this year

According to multiple informed sources, before the shutdown storm in the US, TikTok e - commerce had set a goal of 400% growth in the US this year. Currently, the homeware category is growing the fastest in TikTok e - commerce in the US, and the health supplement category is also seeing good growth. A Chinese merchant operating on TikTok e - commerce expressed optimism. In his view, the current development status of TikTok e - commerce in the US is similar to that of Douyin e - commerce in China around 2020, and small and medium - sized merchants can achieve about 1,000 orders per day. (Jiemian News)

The overseas price of Huawei's triple - foldable phone is higher than the domestic price

Recently, Huawei officially launched its triple - foldable phone, the Huawei Mate XT Master Edition, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is only available in a 16GB + 1TB version, priced at 3,499 euros, which is about 26,629 yuan at the current exchange rate, higher than the domestic price of 23,999 yuan. The overseas version of Huawei's triple - foldable phone does not come with the Hongmeng OS but uses the EMUI 14.2 system based on AOSP. (Securities Times)

BeautyCam has topped the overall app rankings on the App Store in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Myanmar, and the overall ranking on the Google Play in Thailand

Recently, BeautyCam has topped the overall app rankings on the App Store in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Myanmar, as well as the overall ranking on the Google Play in Thailand. It has also won the top spot in the category rankings on the App Store in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan, China, and the top spot in the category rankings on the Google Play in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan, China. (36Kr)

For the first time ever, Amazon's quarterly sales exceed Walmart's

Data released on Thursday showed that the quarterly sales of US e - commerce company Amazon have exceeded those of Walmart, the largest physical retailer in the US, for the first time ever. Amazon reported earlier this month that its fourth - quarter sales reached $187.8 billion, while Walmart's earnings report released on Thursday showed that its fourth - quarter sales were $180.5 billion. (Sina Finance)

Alibaba CEO Wu Yongming: The investment in cloud and AI infrastructure in the next three years will exceed the total of the past ten years

On February 20, Alibaba announced its financial results for the third fiscal quarter ending in December 2024. The revenue in the third fiscal quarter was 280.15 billion yuan, a year - on - year increase of 8%, with a forecast of 277.37 billion yuan; the adjusted earnings per ADS in the third fiscal quarter were 21.39 yuan, with a forecast of 19.12 yuan; the adjusted net profit in the third fiscal quarter was 51.07 billion yuan, a year - on - year increase of 6%, with a forecast of 45.53 billion yuan.

Wu Yongming, the CEO of Alibaba Group, said at the earnings conference call for analysts for the third fiscal quarter of fiscal year 2025 that looking to the future, Alibaba will continue to focus on three major business types: domestic and international e - commerce business, technology business of AI + cloud computing, and Internet platform products. In the next three years, the company will increase investment in three major areas around AI as the strategic core: the infrastructure construction of AI and cloud computing; the AI basic model platform and AI - native applications; and the AI transformation and upgrading of existing businesses. Wu Yongming believes that in the AI era, there are clear and huge demands for infrastructure, and Alibaba's investment in the infrastructure of cloud and AI in the next three years is expected to exceed the total of the past ten years. (Jiemian News)

Wang Jian: AI is a tool for scientific revolution

On February 19, Wang Jian, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said at a forum that in the traditional software era, openness only meant the opening of software source code. In the era of large AI models, model weights, data sets, methodologies, and source code are all resources. Therefore, he believes that open source in the era of large models is actually open resources, referring to the opening of all scientific research resources. He further pointed out that although AI is far from the moment of truly solving scientific problems, it can break through the barriers between different disciplines and has the potential to subvert basic scientific research. "AI is not a revolution of tools but a tool for a scientific revolution," he said. (Caixin.com)

The global e - commerce market will reach $1.1 trillion by 2028

A latest report from GlobalData shows that driven by technological progress, improved delivery services, and increased Internet penetration, the global e - commerce market will reach $1.1 trillion by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.1% expected between 2023 and 2028. China and the United States, accounting for 33% and 30% of the market share respectively, have become the dominant forces in this field. (GlobalData)

The online shopping penetration rate in the EU reached 77% in 2024, with Ireland, the Netherlands, and Denmark leading the way

The latest data from Eurostat shows that in 2024, 77% of Internet users in the EU had purchased or ordered goods or services online. Among them, consumers in Ireland, the Netherlands, and Denmark were the most active, with online shopping penetration rates as high as 96%, 94%, and 91% respectively, far exceeding the EU average. However, the online shopping performance in some countries was relatively lagging, and Bulgaria ranked last in the EU with an online shopping ratio of 57%. This data reflects the significant differences in the acceptance of online shopping among EU countries and also shows the continuous growth trend of digital consumption in Europe. (Eurostat)

The number of Chinese tourists to Dubai exceeded 800,000 in 2024, a year - on - year increase of 31%

On February 17 local time, the Dubai Economy and Tourism Department released data showing that Dubai received 18.72 million international overnight tourists in 2024, a year - on - year increase of 9%, setting a new record. Among them, the number of Chinese tourists reached 824,000, a year - on - year increase of 31%. (CCTV News)

The International Service Center for Chinese Enterprises will host the "2025 Qiantang Going Global Ecosystem Seminar". It has specially invited heavy - weight guests such as experts from the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, representatives from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce in the UAE, and the China - region business representative of the Dubai International Free Zone Authority (IFZA), as well as many outstanding going - global enterprises and professional service institutions. The seminar will focus on key issues such as the latest trends in going global in 2025, the interpretation of industrial policies, and the pain points of enterprises going global.

Event time: February 25, 2025

Event location: Jianghai Hall, Qiantang Junlan Grand Hotel, Hangzhou

                (Zhihuigu, Yipeng Street, Qiantang District, Hangzhou)

Precise connection: This seminar sincerely invites ecological partners to participate, communicate face - to - face with potential partners, expand business connections, and explore cooperation opportunities.

Heavy - weight guests: The event has invited experts from the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, representatives from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce in the UAE, and the China - region business representative of the Dubai International Free Zone Authority (IFZA) and other industry experts to answer questions face - to - face.

Trend interpretation: Industry experts and representatives of going - global professional service providers will provide the latest first - hand interpretation of the latest trends in going global and industrial policies to help merchants seize market opportunities.

Welcome to register

Enterprise representatives who are interested in participating in the event

Please fill out the registration questionnaire before 0:00 on February 25, 2025

You can participate only after receiving a formal invitation email from the organizer.

This article is from the WeChat official account "Hangzhou Qiantang Enterprise Going - Global Service Base". The author is Qiantang Going Global, and it is published with authorization from Qiantang.