CIIE to provide new opportunities for world with China's development

On Nov. 5, the first day of the sixth China International Import Expo (CIIE), the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) was bustling with "old friends" and "new friends" who gathered to discuss cooperation.

Walking through the exhibition areas, visitors were often overwhelmed by the vast array of exhibits on display. At this year's CIIE, the Business Exhibition covered approximately 367,000 square meters, featuring six main exhibition areas and an innovation incubation zone.

A 2-ton electric vertical takeoff and landing drone is exhibited at the sixth China International Import Expo, Nov. 5, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Wang Chu)

In the Consumer Goods exhibition area, a 4.6-meter-tall Lego model was quite eye-catching. Heart shapes, smiley faces and wood ducks imbued with childlike wonder were dotted throughout the structure.

According to a staff member at the Lego booth, this large 3D model was specifically built for the CIIE, which took 18 builders 491 hours to put together.

At the previous five sessions of the CIIE, the Lego Group debuted many new products. This year, it once again launched its latest products at the event, hoping to bring more surprises to Chinese consumers.

The multinational medical device group Elekta brought its latest generation of the Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery system. The group's founder and board chairman Laurent Leksell told People's Daily that the CIIE is a platform for the company to showcase its latest innovative technologies and clinical applications, adding that the group looks forward to exchanging ideas and explore new opportunities with industry partners.

It is reported that at this year's CIIE, exhibition areas for cutting-edge technologies like energy, low carbon, and AI, as well as lifestyle and consumer goods have grown 30 percent. More than 400 new products, technologies and services were exhibited.

Many agreements on practical cooperation were inked on the first day of the event.

A foreign journalist covers the sixth China International Import Expo outside the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), Nov. 4, 2023.  (People's Daily Online/Wang Chu)

One was signed by the multinational pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and the Wuxi National High-tech District in east China's Jiangsu province. According to the agreement, AstraZeneca will expand its production capacity of small molecule drugs in Wuxi.

The pharmaceutical company also inked an agreement on the phase-two project of an inhaler production supply base in Qingdao, east China's Shandong province. It announced to launch a rare disease cooperation project in the Jinan Innovation Zone of Shandong, to develop more innovative medicines.

Wang Lei, global executive vice-president of UK company AstraZeneca and president of its China branch,, said this year marks the 30th year of AstraZeneca's entry to the Chinese market, and China has become an important growth engine for the company in the global market.

"We are honored to be able to share the opportunities of the Chinese market through the CIIE," he noted.

On Nov. 5, Sinochem Holdings held a special signing ceremony at the CIIE, at which it inked agreements with clients from the United States, Brazil, Chile, and other countries in multiple industries such as crude oil and refined oil, food and agricultural products, chemical products, chemical equipment, and service trade.

"Through the CIIE, a global exchange platform, Sinochem Holdings has strengthened cooperation with global energy, chemical, and agricultural companies, effectively expanding the channels for accessing upstream resources in related domestic industries, achieving diversification of import channels, and ensuring the stability of the industrial supply chain," said Yang Shihao, vice president of Sinochem Holdings.

The CIIE has leveraged the strengths of China's enormous market, fulfilled its platform function for international procurement, investment promotion, people-to-people exchanges and open cooperation, and made positive contributions to creating a new development pattern and promoting world economic development.

A telescope lens manufactured by German company Schott is debuted at the sixth China International Import Expo, Nov. 5, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Wang Chu)

The "CIIE effect" continues to unfold, allowing China's enormous market to be shared by the world. This has strengthened the confidence of multinational companies in long-term investment and development in China.

At this year's CIIE, General Mills, an American food company, announced the full-channel entry of its pet food brand, Blue Buffalo, into the Chinese market. Blue Buffalo made its debut in China at the fourth CIIE and has since benefited from various preferential policies in pilot free trade zones, successfully entering the Chinese market through cross-border e-commerce platforms.

"Over the past two years, we have seen the vast prospects of the pet market in China, which has brought new growth to our business in the country," said Su Qiang from General Mills.

"We hope to exchange with other players in the industry via the CIIE and build more partnerships," Su added.

"Through our participation in the CIIE over the past few years, we have fully experienced the powerful spillover effect of this platform. Shiseido's new skincare brands and products have garnered extensive attention and recognition from consumers after being exhibited at the CIIE," said Toshinobu Umetsu, president and CEO of Japanese company Shiseido's branch in China.

He said the CIIE is an epitome of China's high-level opening up, providing foreign companies operating in China with more market opportunities, investment opportunities and growth opportunities, and allowing enterprises to share the dividends of China's opening up.