The 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE) closed in Shanghai on Sunday with fruitful results in cooperation and investment.
With a theme of "New Era, Shared Future", the six-day expo attracted about 3,500 global exhibitors from 129 countries and regions.
It featured the debut of 450 new products, technologies, and service items, and saw a total of 80.01 billion U.S. dollars' worth of tentative deals reached for one-year purchases of goods and services, an increase of two percent from that of last year.
The impressive results reflect China's active exploration of higher-level openness. In the lead-up to the expo's opening, a special matchmaking session was organized, allowing business leaders to explore potential collaborations.
Ragnar Udd, Chief Commercial Officer for Australian mining giant BHP engaged in matchmaking with four Chinese firms during the brief but valuable session.
"China has grown so much over the last 40 years in terms of pursuing urbanization, and we see China is having taken a real leadership role in developing that. We're so, so proud to partner with China," he said.
The expo's potential for global collaboration was also underscored by Song Shangzhe, deputy director-general of the secretariat of the Hongqiao International Economic Forum, an important part of the CIIE.
"A small table can bring the world together, extending into various areas of cooperation, which is exactly what we aim to achieve," he said.
At the 2024 CIIE, China offered over 120 free booths and other support measures to 37 of the world's least developed countries, thereby helping them showcase their products at the expo. China has also expanded the exhibition area for African agricultural products.
African countries saw greater representation at the event with Benin, Burundi and Madagascar participating in the Country Exhibition for the first time.
"China has opened up the market for less developed countries. We have five products that we brought here to showcase what Rwanda can export to China. [We have] coffee, we have tea, we have honey, we have oil and chili and other handcraft products [brought to the CIIE]," said Prudence Sebahizi, Rwanda's Minister of Trade and Industry.
Beyond showcasing China's openness and inclusivity, the CIIE also highlighted China's role in sharing opportunities with the world. The Chinese government has reaffirmed its commitment to further opening its enormous market, including the implementation of unilateral opening-up measures and zero-tariff treatment to 100 percent of tariff lines for products originating from all least developed countries.
7th CIIE closes with fruitful results in cooperation, investment
