CIIE Turns China Market into Great Opportunity for World: Minister

The China International Import Expo, whose 8th edition will kick off next Wednesday in Shanghai, is a firm testimony to China's dedication to opening-up and the country's efforts to promote global trade in a world heavily rattled by tariff issues since the start of this year.

"Hosting the CIIE is to expand opening-up, turning China's huge market into a great opportunity for the world," Sheng Qiuping, China's vice commerce minister, told a media briefing on Tuesday.

"It shows China's efforts to combat 'uncertainties' concerning global demand, cooperation environment and business outlook with the injection of China's 'certainties' in presenting market opportunities, willingness to open up and sharing mutual benefits," Sheng noted.

Held from November 5 to 10, the annual expo has been functioning as a platform to promote investment, international procurement, people-to-people exchanges and cooperation since 2018. Its spillover effects are permeating the markets all the time and are spreading beyond the expo location at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) in suburban Qingpu District.

This year, the overall exhibition area exceeds 430,000 square meters, with 155 countries, regions and international organizations, as well as over 4,108 exhibitors participating in national and corporate exhibitions, all of which exceed the previous expos. American enterprises, for the seventh consecutive year, will occupy the largest exhibition area.

"The CIIE allows people to closely observe China's high-standard opening-up and to have an 'immersive' experience of China's super-large market scale," Sheng said.

More than 460 new products, technologies and services will make debut at this year's event, and future-oriented sectors such as low-altitude economy and humanoid robots will be the highlights. Business leaders in cutting-edge industries, including next-generation information technology, artificial intelligence and green technologies, will showcase their latest achievements.

Meanwhile, six countries, namely Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Georgia, Sweden and Colombia, will serve as Countries of Honor.

The Hongqiao International Economic Forum, which will be held simultaneously, will see eight Nobel laureates and other top scholars sharing insights with more than 400 attendees on topics such as trade security, multilateralism and development of the Global South. The World Openness Report 2025 and the latest World Openness Index will be unveiled at the forum.

Furthermore, 123 countries in the Belt and Road region will take part in the expo, an increase of 23 percent from the previous event, while 163 countries from the least-developed region will join, also an increase of 23 percent. The number of companies from Africa has jumped 80 percent thanks to a zero-tariff policy.

Hua Yuan, vice mayor of Shanghai, said the city has been fully geared up for the event, getting ready with preparations such as transportation, accommodation, services and urban security.