The China International Import Expo (CIIE), the world's first national-level exposition dedicated to imports and an event personally proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, has become a top trade platform powering the world economy, with attendees from around the globe hailing the increasing opportunities the event offers every year.
President Xi first announced China would hold the CIIE starting in 2018 in a speech the previous year, with the establishment of the expo signaling a new round of high-level opening-up, and serving as an important measure to actively open the Chinese market to the world.
This year, the 7th CIIE will take place in Shanghai from November 5 to 10. It has attracted participants from 152 countries, regions and international organizations, achieving a new record with 297 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders in attendance.
The previous six editions saw nearly 2,500 new products, technologies and services make their debuts, with the cumulative value of intended transactions surpassing over 420 billion U.S. dollars, highlighting the huge scale of the expo.
International attendees have spoken of the vast potential afforded by the annual event, including Pakistani exhibitor Habib Ur Rehman, who said he seized the opportunity to bring his local specialty lamps made of rock salt to the fourth CIIE in 2021 after learning about the expo several years prior.
"For the first time, we only had an 18-square-meter booth showcasing our Himalayan salt lamps from Pakistan. On the opening day, many people visited our exhibition booth. I once learned a Chinese idiom called 'shou mang jiao luan', which means to be thrown into confusion, and I truly experienced this at that time. In just six days, we sold an entire container's worth of lamps," he said.
Recognizing the considerable interest in his products, Rehman brought along a range of Pakistani cultural heritage camel skin lamps to last year's CIIE, and believes the strong market demand in China can help preserve this age-old craft.
"Camel skin lamps have a history of about 900 years. In Pakistan, only a team of around 60 people is dedicated to this craft. There is immense consumer demand in China, and given that this intangible cultural heritage is on the verge of disappearing, if we can combine the two, then there will be an opportunity to revive and preserve these intangible cultural heritage products from Pakistan," he said.
Others have hailed how the CIIE serves as a bridge that connects exhibitors from around the globe while opening up business opportunities that allows exhibitors from various countries to showcase their own national characteristics.
"The world should know that our country is not just an underdeveloped nation; we also possess significant capabilities. Therefore, we need a platform to showcase these strengths," said an exhibitor from Benin.
Many exhibitors say they have also shifted from an initial "let's give it a try" attitude to now stepping up their participation level every year, as they look to fully utilize and take advantage of the increasingly influential CIIE platform.
"When we first attended the expo, we had no idea if there would be any visitors. Back then, we brought very few products and had a small exhibition booth. Now, we have a much larger space and a significant number of orders," said an exhibitor from Nepal.
In his opening address at the very first edition of the CIIE six years ago, President Xi described the expo as "an important decision made by China to pursue a new round of high-level opening-up", and the Chinese president would go on to deliver important speeches at the event's opening ceremony for five consecutive years.
Last year, Xi sent a letter to the sixth CIIE, in which he expressed the hope that the expo will play a greater role in providing shared international public goods and services that facilitate an open world economy and allow the world to benefit from win-win cooperation -- a message which resonated well among attendees.
"Every year when we attend the expo, we go to the opening ceremony to hear President Xi's speech. One thing that impressed me the most is his emphasis on the concept of win-win cooperation. The expo serves as a platform for openness, providing significant opportunities for foreign businesspeople like us," Ali Faiz, an exhibitor from Afghanistan.
Over the past number of years, the expo has become an important stage spotlighting China's new development paradigm, a platform for high-level opening up, and a public good for the whole world, and President Xi has always emphasized the true global reach of the event.
"The CIIE is an event hosted by China with the support of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other international organizations as well as a large number of participating countries. It is not China's solo show, but rather a chorus involving countries from around the world," said Xi at the opening ceremony of the inaugural CIIE.
Many regular attendees have also highlighted the expo's growing influence and effectiveness as a platform for facilitating international trade and fostering greater connections.
"What impressed me the most is that in the past, we had to seek out manufacturers and products ourselves. Now, many manufacturers reach out to us directly. The CIIE is gaining increasing popularity among businesspeople," said Tang Jinghong, an exhibitor from the United Kingdom.
"Through the CIIE, we have showcased nearly 30 different products, most of which have already been launched in China. For example, we have a product that treats a rare skin disease, which became available in China just six months after its release in the U.S. This achievement can also be attributed to the reforms in China's drug regulatory approval process," said Yin Yuhan, vice-president of the Greater China division of Boehringer Ingelheim, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies.
Analysts have noted the CIIE highlights China's commitment to global openness and willingness to engage in trade with countries worldwide, a message that has been clearly conveyed by President Xi in the past.
"Going forward, China will stay committed to openness, cooperation and unity for win-win results," said Xi while delivering a keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of the 3rd CIIE back in 2020.
Int'l participants hail CIIE as top trading platform which affirms China's openness
