Chinese E-Commerce School Teaches Students to Sell on TikTok Despite Ban

A Chinese e-commerce school in Guangzhou is teaching students how to sell clothes to Muslim buyers in the UK via TikTok, even though the popular short video app is blocked in China. The school, which offers courses on selling products overseas through various platforms, is part of a growing trend of Chinese vendors seeking to directly market their wares to international consumers.

During a two-week course, students wearing hijabs and abaya gowns learn the ins and outs of selling Middle Eastern-inspired garments to TikTok users abroad. The school covers everything from creating a TikTok account to handling shipping and analyzing sales data. Fees for the six-day program start at around 9,000 yuan ($1,244).

The students, who range from factory owners to fresh graduates, are also learning to sell on other foreign shopping platforms like Amazon and Shopee. The goal is to help Chinese vendors bypass middlemen and market their products directly to overseas consumers, even as they navigate technical hurdles and geopolitical tensions surrounding TikTok.

Why this matters: The school reflects a broader shift among Chinese companies to cut out intermediaries and sell directly to international markets, with TikTok becoming a key platform for this strategy, especially for smaller businesses. However, accessing TikTok from China requires bypassing the country's internet restrictions, and the app has been caught up in global political tensions, with the US Congress threatening an outright ban.

Instructors at the school say the trend is not limited to Western markets, noting that "the current direction for TikTok in Southeast Asia is also very good." Other organizations in Guangdong province are also running TikTok classes, and some e-commerce veterans are sharing tips on the platform through Chinese social apps.

Despite the challenges, the school aims to equip Chinese vendors with the skills to succeed on TikTok and adapt to different consumer tastes abroad. As one student, a factory owner, put it, "The most difficult part is the language and culture barrier - we don't understand what consumers like." By learning to showcase products tailored to overseas markets, these entrepreneurs hope to tap into the growing potential of cross-border e-commerce via TikTok and other platforms.

Key Takeaways

• Chinese e-commerce school teaches students to sell clothes to Muslim buyers in UK via TikTok.
• Students learn to sell on foreign platforms like Amazon and Shopee to bypass middlemen.
• Trend reflects Chinese companies' shift to sell directly to international markets via TikTok.
• Accessing TikTok from China requires bypassing internet restrictions, facing geopolitical tensions.
• School aims to equip vendors with skills to succeed on TikTok and adapt to foreign consumer tastes.