CIIE invites countries to get on board the express train of China’s development

By People’s Daily

The second China International Import Expo (CIIE), which is scheduled to take place from Nov.5 to 10 in Shanghai, is bound to profoundly promote fast and effective spreading of quality goods, services, and technologies around the world and boost global economic growth, foreign dignitaries, entrepreneurs, experts and scholars told People’s Daily.

Jurin Laksanawisit, Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister of Thailand, said he is looking forward to the upcoming second CIIE.

China is the most important trading partner of Thailand, the Thai minister told People’s Daily, disclosing that Thailand’s exports to China account for 16 percent of its total value of exports, and that the country will showcase such Thai products as dried mango and durian as well as some light industry consumer goods at the second CIIE.

As one of the guest countries of honor, the Czech Republic will have two separate exhibition halls at the second CIIE. At the country pavilion, the Czech Republic will display its leading enterprises’ innovative products and unique technologies, while at the Quality Life section of the exhibition center, the country will showcase world-famous Czech products like crystal wares and beer.

The CIIE will serve as a rare opportunity for the Czech Republic to show its development achievements in such areas as trade, investment, and tourism, said Miroslav Scheiner, an official of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of the Czech Republic who is going to attend the CIIE for the second time.

The event is also a great opportunity to promote the Czech Republic’s export to China, said Scheiner, adding that the Czech Republic has made careful preparations for the event and that he hopes the country’s products will leave a good impression on people at the second CIIE.

Thirty-two food companies from the Philippines will jointly participate in the second CIIE this year, with their exhibition area covering 450 square meters.

The Philippines hopes to expand the variety and scale of its vegetable and fruit exports to China through the CIIE, said Agnes Perpetua Legaspi, Assistant Director of the Export Marketing Bureau of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry.

Philippine enterprises also hope to meet more Chinese partners through the event so as to reach more agreements and bring their products into the huge Chinese market, noted Legaspi.

Zambia will be the only African country of honor of the second CIIE this year. This is an honor and a precious opportunity for Zambia, said Christopher Yaluma, Zambia’s Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry who will lead the Zambian delegation at the expo for the second time.

Zambia thanks China for offering it such a good platform, noted Yaluma, stressing that Zambia will make the most of the CIIE to showcase its products and achievements and constantly promote economic and trade exchanges between China and Zambia.

Japan’s Panasonic Corporation regards the CIIE as an important platform for introducing its newest products to Chinese consumers.

The exhibition area of Panasonic Corporation at the second CIIE will reach 1,000 square meters, 30 percent more than that of the last CIIE, according to Tetsuro Homma, CEO of China & Northeast Asia Company of Panasonic Corporation, saying that the company hopes to draw people’s attention to the latest products of its around 70 branches in China during this year’s CIIE.

China has become a key consumer market of Panasonic Corporation, and will become an important base for research and development efforts of the company, said Homma, explaining that China has a great number of highly educated talents, especially science and engineering talents, which will be one of the enormous advantages of China in future development.

Panasonic Corporation is optimistic about China’s development prospects, and is willing to walk hand in hand with its Chinese partners, noted Homma.

Lucas Lacasa, CEO of Spanish chocolate company Chocolates Lacasa attended the first CIIE last year and was deeply impressed by the large scale of the expo and the enthusiasm of exhibitors and visitors at the event.

Seeing the huge potential of Chinese market, Lacasa signed up for this year’s CIIE very early. He disclosed that products of Chocolates Lacasa haven’t been in Chinese market for a long time and so far own only a small market share, noting that the CIIE has provided the company with a platform for showcasing products and enhancing popularity.

The CIIE has brought Chocolates Lacasa and other small and medium-sized Spanish companies new opportunities to explore Chinese market, said Lacasa, adding that in recent years, with its steady economic growth, China has injected impetus into global economic development.

Chinese market is increasingly open and inclusive, and constantly boosts the efforts of enterprises from various countries to get on board the express train of China’s development and share development opportunities, noted Lacasa.

The CIIE is one of China’s concrete measures to promote win-win cooperation between China and various countries around the world, according to Sergei Luzyanin, Director of the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Trying to boost the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and calling on the world to build a community with a shared future for mankind, China values common development while pursuing its own development, said Luzyanin.

When the world is faced with threats caused by protectionism and unilateralism, China is making efforts to unswervingly safeguard free trade and an open world economy, injecting confidence into the global market, noted Natalia Gazolla, Assistant to the President at Brazil China Chamber of Commerce and Industry.