Pathways for Prosperity Commission in collaboration with University of Oxford published a new background paper on the public-private partnership (PPP) model in the development of e-commerce and digital skills trainings in rural China. The paper looks at how the private and public sectors are cooperating to deliver skills training for rural residents and promote e-commerce in developing regions. This is presented through the case study of central China and the collaboration between Alibaba and the Chinese government. The research found that despite that digital economy could be promoted through stakeholders' collaboration and the development of good information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure in marginalised communities in developing countries, digital skills training for rural participants still requires the provision of supporting resources, such as affordable e-commerce consultancy services and accessible technical assistance. It also showed that collaboration between government and technology companies could not change the fundamental social inequalities between rural and urban areas in developing countries. Investment in facilities such as logistic networks, ICT infrastructure, and agricultural technologies are nonetheless crucial for social development in the region.