While this article speaks well of Chinese vendors, remember Alibaba is *not* AliExpress! Read this article well and take heed, it has many tips that could save you some grief.
I would suggest Only using AliExpress and leave Alibaba alone.
While AliExpress uses an escrow account to hold your money until the goods are received, Alibaba does not, and you could loose big. Many people have lost money dealing with Alibaba. Even though they were using their "Gold Verified" sellers, Alibaba will not protect them. ...Remember, Alibaba will not stand behind you in a transaction that has gone bad. If you deal with someone who wants money to be wired up front, you are basically on your own. Read some of the complaints from people who got ripped off here:
Alibaba Scams It is eye opening!