Editor's note: The following article is taken from the Chinese-language "Commentaries on International Affairs." The article does not necessarily reflect the views of CGTN.

China's Singles' Day shopping frenzy once again broke records on Monday. Sales by the major e-commerce platforms Tmall and JD.com grew by more than a quarter from last year, reaching 268 billion yuan (some 38 billion U.S. dollars) and 204 billion yuan (around 30 billion U.S. dollars), respectively. High-quality, artificially intelligent, and personalized items were notably more popular. And livestreamed shopping has become a trend among China's consumers.

This year, e-commerce operators explored markets outside China's first and second-tier cities. Consumers in third-tier cities and the country's vast rural areas accounted for around 70 percent of online shoppers and they placed around two-thirds of the orders for the bestselling home appliances, makeup, and furniture products. Sales of many products doubled in these markets, which are becoming a crucial engine driving China's economic growth.

This year's shopping spree was also boosted by the introduction of many new products tailor-made to cater to local tastes by businesses that had studied the big data available on China's consumers. What's worth noting is that a slew of foreign brands, including those from the United States, Britain, and Japan, opened online shops at Tmall, triple the number recorded a year ago.

The shopping spree has demonstrated the strong purchasing power of China's consumers, which has been the No. 1 driving force for the country's economy for several years now. A strong domestic consumption market will act as a shelter against global headwinds, providing China's economy with a growth guarantee as the world economy comes under increasing pressure from trade protectionism and unilateralism.

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