CIIE shares China’s development opportunities with the world
By Guo Jiping
The second China International Import Expo (CIIE) slated to kick off in
Shanghai on Nov.5 will be a grand event witnessing in-depth integration of
China into the world and win-win cooperation between China and countries across
the globe.
So far, over 3,000 enterprises from more than 150 countries and regions
have signed up for the expo, with the number of countries, regions,
international organizations, exhibitors, as well as Fortune Global 500
enterprises and industry leading companies to attend the second CIIE all
surpassing that of the first CIIE held last year.
The surge in the number of participants caused exhibition area shortage
in the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the venue for the
upcoming expo. Only after several extensions, the exhibition area in the venue
can scarcely meet the huge need for booths.
How is a newborn expo enjoying such extraordinary popularity around the
world?
Above all, the popularity is credits to the grand background of the
CIIE, given that it is the world’s first-ever import expo held at national
level and an innovation in the history of global trade which has been planned,
arranged, and promoted by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
In particular, the popularity of the second CIIE is a result of the
remarkable success of the first CIIE, where exhibitors reaped
fruitful results.
In just 6 days during the first CIIE, more than 800,000 people visited
the exhibition halls for business discussions, purchase, and sightseeing,
generating a total of $5.78 billion in terms of volume of deals.
The popularity of the CIIE also reflects the confidence of enterprises
around the world in China’s determination to constantly deepen its efforts at
all-round opening-up.
With the implementation of a major series of favorable policies and measures aiming at
promoting opening-up at a higher level, China has constantly optimized its
institutional environment.
By further lowering its overall tariff level, broadening market access,
shortening the negative lists for foreign investment, and promoting transparent
market rules, China has endeavored to make it more convenient for various
companies around the world to share its development opportunities.
“In the coming 15 years, China’s import of goods and services are
expected to exceed $30 trillion and $10 trillion respectively.” The remark of
President Xi about the general forecast of Chinese market made at the opening
ceremony of the first CIIE sparked heated discussion around the world.
The rise of China’s consumer market has been universally regarded as an
important pillar of the steady and sustained economic growth of the country,
and the primary focus of foreign enterprises to continue investing in China.
Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) has actively organized
Japanese enterprises to take part in the CIIE. These companies will focus their
efforts on introducing such goods as food, agricultural produce, and medicine
that have huge potential in Chinese market.
The CIIE will serve as an important platform for the marketing of these
products in China, said JETRO.
A delegation of business representatives from 84 Singaporean companies
will participate in the second CIIE, according to Teo Siong Seng, Chairman of
Singapore Business Federation (SBF).
Seeing the remarkable results of the first CIIE, more Singaporean
companies hope to showcase their innovative products and services in China,
said Teo.
The appeal of China’s consumer market is not just because of its size,
but is rooted in its structure which is constantly optimized.
From daily necessities to such areas as housing, transportation and
tourism, the proportion of service consumption in China’s consumer market has
significantly increased over the past few decades, while forms of circulation
have been continuously innovated and the market volume of online retailing now
leads the world.
In the face of the changing times, more and more multinationals regard
Chinese market as an ideal land for incubating global innovations, hence
constantly increase innovation inputs in China.
It is expected that the amount of new products, new technologies, new
services, new techniques, and new applications to debut in the world or to be
unveiled for the first time in China at the second CIIE will exceed that at the
first CIIE last year.
These new creations include concept car that can automatically perceive
the physiological status of passengers and adjust its interior environment
accordingly, pulverizer that can turn 150 to 200 tonnes of construction waste
into renewable materials within an hour, and Steinway & Sons’ newest piano
that can automatically perform music and precisely record the performances of
musicians.
The enthusiasm for launching new products in the CIIE is closely
related with China’s constantly intensified efforts to strengthen the
protection of intellectual property rights (IPR).
China has made great efforts to perfect its laws to better protect IPR.
The country has built a fully-fledged intellectual property legal framework
which is in line with prevailing international rules. It will also introduce
punitive damages for infringements on intellectual property, which will make
its punishment for infringements reach a relatively high level in the world.
China’s remarkable progress in IPR protection has significantly
improved the country’s environment for innovation, enabling transnational
corporations to be totally reassured about expanding their business in China.
At the moment when economic globalization is undergoing headwinds,
observers of various countries think the CIIE held by China is a powerful
measure to continue driving forward economic globalization.
By holding the CIIE, China has built a platform for international trade
and cooperation opportunities shared among various countries around the world,
said Bernard Dewit, Chairman of Belgian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce (BCECC).
China is safeguarding the free trade system with practical actions,
noted Dewit, adding that the country’s endeavor to further expand opening-up
will generate huge business opportunities for various countries in the world.
While hosted by China, the smooth holding of the CIIE is the result of
collaboration of China with international organizations including the World
Trade Organization (WTO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD), and the United Nations Industrial Development
Organization (UNIDO), and also the joint participation of many countries.
Such high-level partners and extensive participation reflect the
internationalization and openness of the CIIE as an important platform built by
China in an effort to proactively expand imports and open its market wider. It
also manifest the international community’s sincere expectation for improving
global trade environment and realizing win-win cooperation.
China today is standing at a higher starting point on a journey of
promoting development through opening-up.
On the one hand, the realization of opening-up at a higher level has
become an inevitable requirement of the transformation and upgrading of Chinese
economy. On the other hand, the country is confronted with pressure caused by
the changing global trade environment.
From constantly deepening efforts and increasing solid outcomes in
joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to creating a brand
new platform for cooperation by hosting the CIIE, making continuous
breakthroughs in the construction of free trade zones, adopting the new foreign
investment law, and accelerating the opening-up of service industry, China has
not only brought its own development into a new stage, but significantly
benefited the development of the world.
Looking into the future, China is full of confidence and strength to
serve as an important promoter of opening-up across the world, a stable power
source of global economic growth, a dynamic market for business opportunities
benefiting various countries, and an active contributor to the reform of the
global governance system.
China is ready to work with various countries around the world to share
opportunities, boost common development, and promote the joint construction of
a community with a shared future for mankind, so as to bring peace and
development to the whole world.
(Guo Jiping is a well-known pen
name used for People's Daily editorials meant to outline China's stance and
viewpoints on major international issues.)
The bank of Huangpu River in Shanghai. (Photo/Xu Congjun)
CIIE shares China’s development opportunities with the world
Reviewed by PEOPLES MAIL
on
15:49
Rating:
No comments: