By April 17, over 900 applicants had already signed contracts for the China International Import Expo (CIIE), which will be held in Shanghai this November.

The applicants will cover more than 157,000 square meters of exhibition area, said Sun Chenghai, deputy director of the CIIE Bureau, adding that the number of enterprises applying for the expo has now reached 1,700.

Sun added that the CIIE will use channels, such as the Canton Fair, to help attract 150,000 foreign purchasing agencies to do business with exhibitors from across the world.

He disclosed that among enterprises that have signed contracts for the expo, 34% are from Belt and Road countries and regions. Furthermore, 103 Fortune 500 companies and leading enterprises in the industry have signed up for the event.

The expo will be a launch site for new products on the market. The exhibition area for smart and high-end equipment and automobiles is the largest, according to Sun. He adds that the basic principle for selecting enterprises is to choose the best ones with high-quality and distinctive products.

With the expo less than 200 days away, Sun said that the bureau plans to create a more welcoming environment for participants. With the help of big-data and cloud services, participants will be able to discover the expo in more convenient ways.