LEGO says CIIE excellent platform for enterprise development

People walk past Jinbo, mascot of the China International Import Expo (CIIE), which is made of LEGO bricks, at the Lifestyles exhibition area of the second CIIE in Shanghai, east China, Nov. 9, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

As a multinational company involved in the first edition of the China International Import Expo, LEGO regards the expo as an excellent platform for enterprise development. The company aims to cover 85 Chinese cities with 300 stores by the end of this year.

COPENHAGEN, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Perhaps few people have heard of the city of Billund in the west of Denmark, but the LEGO bricks, which were born in this small town, have already become popular all over the world.

In the 12,000-square-meter LEGO House in Billund, waterfalls, dinosaurs, giant plants and other landscapes are built with small LEGO bricks.

Commuters view an enormous colorful globe constructed from LEGO bricks at the Central Station in the Danish capital Copenhagen, on Nov. 20, 2020. (Xinhua/Anders Kongshaug)

Nowadays, these ideas can also be found thousands of miles away in China. During China's National Day holiday last month, LEGO Group opened its world's largest flagship store in Guangzhou as the company continues to expand in the Asian country.

As of June, LEGO has 737 stores worldwide, of which 291 are in China, it said.

This year, LEGO will also participate in the 4th China International Import Expo (CIIE). As a multinational company involved in the first edition of the CIIE, LEGO regards the expo as an excellent platform for enterprise development.

Photo taken on Nov. 9, 2020 shows a traditional Chinese garden built by Lego bricks at the booth of Danish toy giant LEGO Group during the third China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, east China. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

"We've seen very strong return brought by our previous participation at the CIIE as it offers a dialogue platform with local partners and government," said Niels B. Christiansen, CEO of the LEGO Group, noting that the expo showed China's opening-up and improving business environment, which encourages foreign companies to further invest, develop and innovate there.

Christiansen said the company has opened more than 60 branded stores in the first half of this year, and more than 40 of them are in China. It is expected to cover 85 Chinese cities with 300 stores by the end of this year.

People enter a LEGO store in Shanghai, east China, Oct. 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)

Paul Huang, Senior Vice President of the LEGO Group and General Manager of LEGO China, said the CIIE is a good platform to introduce new products, technologies and services, adding that the company's products showcased in the past expos have received "successful results."