The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in the development of e-commerce and digital skills training in rural China

The rise of e-commerce platforms in developing countries is creating new business opportunities in rural economies, which drives governments to cooperate with private sector industries on the development of a good ICT infrastructure.

This paper features a case study from central China to demonstrate how the private sector is collaborating with the government to deliver skills training workshops for rural residents and thereby facilitate e-commerce in developing regions.

The collaboration between the public and private sectors represents a new strategy to facilitate a digital economy that incorporates marginalised communities in developing areas. However, findings from the fieldwork show that digital skills training for rural participants requires the provision of supporting resources, such as affordable e-commerce consultancy services and accessible technical assistance.