BEIJING — China's cross-border e-commerce has grown rapidly in recent years, with imports and exports of these platforms jumping 18.6 percent year-on-year to 1.92 trillion yuan (about $284.5 billion) last year, an official said on May 20.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to changes in consumer behavior, boosting demand for online shopping and injecting strong momentum into cross-border e-commerce, Sheng Qiuping, vice-minister of commerce, told a press conference.

Since 2015, the State Council, or China's cabinet, has approved the establishment of 132 cross-border e-commerce pilot zones in 30 provincial-level regions. The country's cross-border e-commerce imports and exports rose nearly tenfold in the past five years, Sheng said.

Relying on manufacturing and market advantages, a number of world-leading cross-border e-commerce platforms have emerged in China, he added.

To meet Chinese people's growing demand for varied and high-quality products, cross-border e-commerce platforms have purchased commodities from almost every corner of the world. Through these platforms, foreign products such as Pakistani powder salt and Bulgarian rose water have grown in popularity among Chinese consumers.

"With the help of e-commerce, many high-quality brands have taken root in China and ushered in new development opportunities," Sheng said, calling for greater efforts to improve business environment and provide better services and guidance to cross-border e-commerce companies.