The State Grid Corporation of China, the country’s largest utility company, launched a cross-border online mall in Beijing on Sept. 6, in an effort to secure a spot in global e-commerce market. The platform completed its first transaction with a purchaser from Dubai on the first day of opening.

The online mall, which sells equipment and construction resources manufactured by state-owned companies, aims to become an export platform for Chinese products, including electrical equipment, photovoltaic and new energy products, and electronic messaging services.

It will also serve as an import platform for high-quality commodities from Belt and Road countries, as well as a purchasing platform for China’s foreign investment projects and construction.

The platform features three business modules—docking demand and supply, online trade, and value-added services, as well as 12 business functions, including information publishing, trade promotion, online customs clearances, logistics, overseas storage, financial services, credit rating, and big data analysis.

The launch of the platform is an important step forward in the implementation of the national “Internet Plus” campaign, according to an official with the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, who encouraged state-owned enterprises to develop global e-commerce.