As global trade increasingly shifts toward digital platforms, Zhongshan—China's renowned lighting manufacturing hub—stands at a critical juncture. With traditional export advantages diminishing, cross-border e-commerce has emerged as the new beacon for the industry's future. However, for lighting manufacturers accustomed to conventional business models, bridging the gap from offline to online presents significant challenges.
On December 25, 2025, the "Zhongshan Craftsmanship, Global Connectivity" lighting industry summit convened at the Lihe Lighting Expo Center in Zhongshan's ancient town district. Co-hosted by LianLian Global and WINIT, the event brought together over 100 local lighting fixtures, hardware furnishings, and small appliance manufacturers with e-commerce platforms and logistics providers. As the finale of LianLian Global's 2025 industrial belt empowerment series, the summit created a direct dialogue channel between manufacturers and service providers to navigate cross-border opportunities and digital transformation.
LianLian Global: The Financial Backbone of Cross-Border Trade
Zhou Xiuxiu, LianLian Global's Zhongshan operations lead, delivered a keynote analyzing critical payment security considerations for new cross-border sellers. "Secure and efficient capital flow is the lifeline of international trade," she emphasized, detailing the company's integrated payment solutions covering collection, disbursement, exchange, and fund management.
As the cross-border payment arm of Hong Kong-listed LianLian DigiTech, the platform has built an extensive ecosystem encompassing payments, logistics, compliance, taxation, and financing. By June 2025, LianLian Global served approximately 7.9 million cross-border clients, establishing itself as a cornerstone of global trade infrastructure.
Building a Comprehensive Export Ecosystem
The summit featured representatives from eBay, WINIT, Rakuten Super Logistics, and Ronghui Smart Chain, offering manufacturers holistic guidance:
- eBay: Shared platform trends and seller support programs to help manufacturers adapt to marketplace dynamics
- WINIT: Presented overseas warehousing solutions to optimize international logistics
- Rakuten Super Logistics: Demonstrated cost-efficient transportation models for bulk shipments
- Ronghui Smart Chain: Provided supply chain financing options to alleviate working capital pressures
This convergence of platforms, logistics, payments, and financial services created a complete export support system for Zhongshan's lighting manufacturers.
Addressing Practical Challenges
During dedicated Q&A sessions, manufacturers engaged in one-on-one consultations about platform onboarding, payment solutions, logistics optimization, and product compliance—streamlining what traditionally requires months of independent research into focused discussions.
Attendees reported gaining actionable insights into cross-border operations while establishing concrete partnerships, fundamentally reshaping their approach to global expansion.
Industrial Belt Strategy: Connecting Chinese Manufacturing to Global Markets
Throughout 2025, LianLian Global conducted similar initiatives across Chaozhou, Meizhou, Zhanjiang, and Zhongshan—regions facing intensified competition in traditional exports. The Zhongshan event specifically targeted the city's $100 billion lighting industry cluster, creating direct pathways between manufacturers and international buyers while showcasing China's manufacturing capabilities.
From eastern Guangdong to the Pearl River Delta, these efforts not only connect regional specialty industries with global digital marketplaces but also integrate payment, logistics, marketing, and data resources to fuel sustainable digital transformation.
LianLian Global has committed to deepening industrial belt collaborations, helping more Chinese manufacturers establish global presence through comprehensive cross-border ecosystems.