The online sales event of featured commodities from SCO member countries kicks off on Jan 10 in Qingdao, Shandong province. [Photo/qingdaonews.com]

The online sales event of featured commodities from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member countries kicked off on Jan 10 in the China-SCO demonstration zone in Qingdao, Shandong province.

The online sales event is part of the 2022 National Online Lunar New Year Shopping Festival, which is organized by the Ministry of Commerce, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the State Administration for Market Regulation, the State Post Bureau and the China Consumers Association, aiming to further play the important role in the e-commerce sector by releasing consumption vitality and promoting consumption upgrading. Qingdao is one of the nine venues across the country that is fulfilling this role.

Featured products from SCO member countries are on sale during the event. [Photo/qdxin.cn]

Lasting for 29 days until Feb 7, the online sales event will provide featured products from Russia, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Armenia, Sri Lanka and other SCO member countries as well as countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative via the online grocery app Hema and the popular Chinese video-sharing app Douyin.

Customers can shop for over 1,500 foreign products during the online sales event. [Photo/qdxin.cn]

More than 1,500 products are being offered during the event such as Russian honey, Azerbaijani wine, Sri Lankan black tea and amethyst, and Uzbek handicrafts.

Representatives from chambers of commerce and ambassadors to China from SCO member states will serve as "livestreaming hosts" to promote their country's featured products.

The China-SCO demonstration zone in Qingdao was approved by the central government for economic collaboration with SCO member countries. The zone has beefed up efforts to create a better platform for international cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, and develop collaborations in logistics, trade, investment, tourism and culture.

The SCO's online sales event that features commodities from SCO member countries will last for 29 days. [Photo/qdxin.cn]