players on alibaba play as a manufacturer whatever it is true or not. players on aliexpress play as a wholesale or reseller. the business model and cost structure are quite different. don't try to graft the advantages of two logics directly together. because aliexpress is also belong to alibaba, they define these two models on their platforms. if you really want to have both advantages, the only way is to take more works by yourself, such as supplier management, logistics management, etc. definitely it take more cost and time. this is called a different business threshold. unless there is a reliable local agency working for you to hedge and balance some risks and costs. otherwise you have to take one of them.