CHINA INTERNATIONAL IMPORT EXPO BREAKS RECORDS

BEIJING, NOVEMBER 12 /SRNA/ - The ninth China International Import Expo /CIIE/ has concluded in Shanghai, with executives from foreign companies, including Zeiss and Nestlé, already expressing interest in taking part in next year's event.

According to data collected as of October 10, 143 companies and institutions had signed agreements to participate in the next edition of the China International Import Expo.

Over the next five years, exploring "China's Opportunity 2.0" and capitalizing on the opportunities offered by the CIIE have become common goals for many foreign companies, according to a commentary by China Media Group.

It points out that this year's CIIE delivered significant results, with the value of intended deals reaching 85.45 billion US dollars, up 2.3 percent from the previous edition.

"Several new records were set at the Expo. The number of participants reached 4,142, while the total exhibition area exceeded 440,000 square metres for the first time. The number of companies on the Fortune Global 500 list and leading companies in relevant industries surpassed 300," the commentary said.

It also emphasizes that the number of representative products making their debut on the global, Asian or Chinese markets reached 485.

These figures confirm the Expo's strong appeal and demonstrate that China's vast market continues to offer new opportunities to the rest of the world.

"China's strategic resolve to expand high-level opening-up has instilled the world with a valuable sense of security, stability and confidence in development," L'Oréal CEO Ye Hongmu told China Media Group.

As the world's second-largest consumer market and second-largest importer, China is the only developing country to host a national-level international import expo and continuously open its market to the world.

Over the past nine years, the CIIE has developed into a window through which China presents its new development model, a platform for promoting high-level opening-up, and a public good that benefits countries around the world.

On the closing day of the expo, China released foreign trade data for the first ten months of this year, showing that imports of goods totaled 18.82 trillion yuan, up 23.6 percent from the same period last year.

China's imports and exports recorded double-digit growth for six consecutive months through October.

These figures once again confirm that China is not only a "super-seller" but also a "super-buyer," the commentary said.

China Media Group emphasizes that "China Opportunity 2.0" brings not only market opportunities but also opportunities for innovation.

The incubator zone at this year's expo brought together 633 innovative projects from nearly 40 countries and regions, almost 20 percent more than at the previous edition.

The World Openness Report, released during the expo, highlighted that "China Opportunity 2.0" means that China is sharing not only its vast market with the world but also new opportunities for innovation, driving industrial upgrading, innovative applications, and green development.

According to the 2026 Global Innovation Index, published by the World Intellectual Property Organization, 25 of the world's top 100 innovation clusters are located in China, placing the country first globally for the fourth consecutive year.

The expo provides a platform for countries, particularly those from the Global South, to tap into the opportunities offered by the Chinese market, thereby promoting inclusive economic globalization.

Following the ninth China International Import Expo, the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting will also be held in Shenzhen.

"From the call for a shared future in a new era at the CIIE to APEC's focus on building an Asia-Pacific community and promoting shared prosperity, the story of how the world can make better and more effective use of 'China Opportunity 2.0' through continued cooperation and openness continues to unfold," the commentary said.