To boost the development of its 26 mountainous counties, East China's Zhejiang province recently launched an initiative to get them to use e-commerce to sell their ecological products, that don't use harmful chemicals in their manufacturing process, like organic meat and vegetables.

This is expected to bring new opportunities to Lishui city in the province, whose administrative regions are all included in the 26 mountainous counties.

In recent years, Lishui has maintained high-speed growth of its online retail sales, including Jingning She autonomous county which it administers. In 2021, online retail sales of the county hit 1.04 billion yuan ($154.42 million), up 11.5 percent year-on-year, while the value of its import and exports engaged in cross-border e-commerce reached $1.04 million, double the previous year.  

At present, the county has more than 400 e-commerce enterprises in industry, agriculture, manufacturing daily necessities and in other fields.

According to officials, the model for combining e-commerce with ecological products is one of the most effective ways for mountainous counties to achieve their economic development.

Zhejiang has undertaken vigorous measures to advance the high-quality development of the 26 mountainous counties and narrow the development gaps between various areas in the province.

The province is also pushing forwards with the construction of a common prosperity demonstration zone, under a plan issued by the State Council, China's Cabinet, in May 2021. The plan states: "New progress will be made each year and major breakthroughs should be made in five years, in advancing the construction of the project, with the demonstration zone to be basically built in 15 years".