A screen promoting the upcoming 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE) is pictured at the entrance of National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the main venue for the CIIE, in east China's Shanghai, Oct. 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)
BEIJING, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE) is scheduled to take place in Shanghai from November 5 to 10. The first batch of exhibits for the expo was recently delivered to the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai).
As the expo enters the final countdown, exhibits from across the globe are making their way to Shanghai.
-- Both familiar faces and new acquaintances coming together for CIIE
At present, the preparations for this year's CIIE are nearly complete.
It is learned that this year's business exhibition area has exceeded 360,000 square meters.
A total of 3,496 exhibitors from 129 countries and regions have confirmed their participation, exceeding the previous session.
About 186 companies and institutions have maintained "perfect attendance" at all seven editions of CIIE. Among them is Metro, a German retailing company carrying over 100 products from 20 countries in its "suitcase".
Metro plans to introduce a dedicated CIIE zone in its offline stores during the expo to facilitate a seamless transition of its debut products into bestsellers.
This year's CIIE will feature 297 participants from the Fortune Global 500 and leading industry companies, marking an all-time high.
For the first time, the expo will introduce a new materials section, where Merck China will showcase its focus on "new quality productive forces" with three key business areas, namely life sciences, healthcare, and electronics.
This will be the first appearance at the CIIE for Marc Horn, executive vice president of Merck Group and president of Merck China.
He remarked that China is not only an end-consumer market but also a wellspring of innovation.
The CIIE is an important platform for Singaporean companies to expand into the Chinese market, said Kok Ping Soon, chief executive officer of Singapore Business Federation (SBF), adding that SBF will bring a delegation comprising 44 Singaporean companies and nearly 400 representatives to this year's CIIE. Notably, 70 percent of the participating companies are the CIIE's regular exhibitors. During last year's CIIE, Singaporean companies signed 13 memorandums of understanding with Chinese companies, amounting to around 464 million yuan in total, an impressive twentyfold increase compared to the contract value in 2022.
Old friends are bringing new ones along, with companies like MiRXES, Premium Care, and See Hai Tat Medical Hall (Singapore) Pte Ltd from the biotech and healthcare industries joining this year's CIIE in search of business opportunities.
-- Shared goals transcend distance
In the last six years, the expo has recorded over 420 billion U.S. dollars in intended transaction value. This overwhelming sense of accomplishment has given exhibitors unwavering confidence in the CIIE.
At this year's CIIE, Teva will present the Chinese debut of Austedo XR, an extended-release tablet that reduces the dosing frequency from twice daily to once daily and reduces fluctuations in blood concentration after administration.
Theodor Wee, general manager of Teva Greater China, shared his expectations about the upcoming CIIE. Teva's participation for three straight years is a testament to its swift expansion and deeper engagement in China.
As of January this year, the company has introduced six branded pharmaceuticals and one consumer healthcare product to the Chinese market.
Shared goals transcend distance, said Himanshu Chaturvedi, president of Olam Agri China and ASEAN, describing the significance of participating in the CIIE.
As one of the world's top ten grain traders, Olam Agri will make its third appearance at this year's CIIE, presenting a diverse product portfolio and innovative agricultural solutions.
Chaturvedi confidently predicted that this year's contract value would break all previous records set at the expo.
Cardiac pacemakers have long been a key exhibit for Abbott, and CIIE has been a witness to the ongoing iterations of these "heart menders", tracking their full journey from exhibits to market-ready products.
The AVEIR VR single chamber leadless pacemaker, which made its debut at the 5th CIIE, has now received approval for the Chinese market, noted an Abbott representative.
-- Multinational companies vote for China with concrete investment
A month ahead of the 7th CIIE, IKEA relocated to its new office building in Shanghai, while the IKEA store in Changning District, the brand's fourth store in Shanghai, is gearing up to mark its first month of operation.
An increasing number of exhibitors are "voting" for China with concrete investment.
IKEA first joined the CIIE in 2018 and has since become a regular participant, said Cindy Ruan, vice-president of IKEA China.
In the same vein, Bayer Consumer Health inaugurated its China Center of Innovation and Partnership (CCIP) just before the expo, with a total investment of approximately 20 million euros. The center hints at the launch of several blockbuster products at the upcoming CIIE.
Julio Triana, president of Bayer's Consumer Health, expressed his hope that the investment will succeed in China and serve as a model for replication across the globe. (Edited by Yang Yifan with Xinhua Silk Road, yangyifan@xinhua.org)
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