E-Commerce – Driving Force of China’s Growth and Economic Rebalancing

China is in the midst of a rapid digital revolution. If just a generation ago most Chinese households depended on ration coupons to obtain almost any item needed for living, today China is the world’s largest e-commerce market, its citizens enjoying ever-increasing access to millions of online products. As a new and powerful growth engine, e-commerce is prone to having a major bearing on Chinese economy and society and, in consequence of their size, on the entire global economy. In this article, we look at the Chinese e-commerce market, identifying its major determinants, analyzing its dynamics, structure and main actors, its organizational patterns, its expected medium-term developments, as well as its impact on China’s economic growth, rebalancing and modernization