China will offer over 120 free booths for the exhibitors from 37 least developed countries participating in this year's China International Import Expo (CIIE), said an official from the Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday.
Themed "New Era, Shared Future," the 7th CIIE will be held in Shanghai from Nov 5 to 10, the Ministry of Commerce announced at a press conference in Beijing.
Tang Wenhong, China's assistant minister of commerce, said that this year's CIIE will see participants from 152 countries, regions, and international organizations, including 37 least developed countries.
He reiterated China's commitment to expanding unilaterally opening up to the world's least developed nations.
"Starting from Dec 1, 2024, China will implement a zero-tariff policy on 100 percent of products originating from the least developed countries having diplomatic relations with China. The Ministry of Commerce will collaborate with relevant departments to support the least developed countries in making full use of this preferential treatment. We will provide skills training and support the development of cross-border e-commerce enterprises to cultivate new trade momentum. Through hosting events like the CIIE, we will build platforms and bridges for high-quality and unique products from the least developed countries to enter the Chinese market and the global market," Tang said.
"This year's CIIE will feature exhibitors from 37 least developed countries and we will provide over 120 free booths to support their participation. The exhibition area for African products at this year's CIIE will be further expanded, facilitating connections and negotiations between African exhibitors and Chinese buyers to help both parties reach more purchase agreements," said the assistant minister.
Over 120 free booths offered to exhibitors from 37 least developed countries at 7th CIIE
A total of 760 million cross-regional passenger trips are expected to be made across China during the Qingming Festival holiday, running from Friday to Sunday, the Ministry of Transport predicted.
The Qingming Festival, also known as the Tomb-Sweeping Day, is a traditional Chinese festival observed to honor ancestors by visiting their graves to clean the tombstones, offer sacrifices, and pay respects.
Travel demand is expected to be particularly high during this period, driven by family visits for tomb-sweeping rituals, as well as leisure travel and spring outings.
From Thursday to Monday, China's railways are projected to handle 84.5 million passenger trips, with an average of 16.9 million trips per day. The busiest day is expected to be Friday, the festival itself.
The railway authorities will maximize efforts to meet the surging demand by adding more train services, attaching extra carriages, and extending operating hours.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport forecast that an average of 59 million vehicles will travel on expressways each day during the holiday, a 1.1-percent increase over the same period last year.
Of this, new energy vehicles (NEVs) are expected to make up 18 percent of the total daily traffic, a 7-percentage-point rise from last year.
In anticipation of the increase, provinces like Fujian, Shandong, and Zhejiang have already conducted inspections of charging facilities to ensure smooth and efficient travel for NEV drivers.
The aviation sector is also seeing increased demand, especially for flights to popular flower-viewing destinations such as Wuxi and Huangshan in China, as well as international destinations like Japan and South Korea. This rise in demand has led to slight increases in airfare prices.
In southern China, water transportation is entering its peak season. The Qiongzhou Strait, which separates the island province of Hainan from Guangdong Province, is expected to see a surge in passenger and vehicle travel during the holiday.
Around 220,000 passenger trips and 58,000 vehicle trips are forecast, with the highest travel day expected on Friday, when about 85,000 passenger trips and 20,000 vehicle trips are expected to cross the strait.
"The total cross-regional passenger flow during the Qingming Festival holiday is expected to reach some 760 million trips, marking a year-on-year increase of about 3 percent. Travel in key regions, including the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area, the Yangtze River Delta, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the Chengdu-Chongqing region, will account for nearly 50 percent of the national total. We are strengthening information sharing among different transportation modes, enhancing the coordination of railway, highway, and air transport services, and actively promoting intermodal passenger transportation," said Gao Bo, deputy director of the transport services department at the Ministry of Transport.
China expects 760 mln cross-regional trips during Qingming Festival holiday
