The National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai

With food ingredients being 100 percent traceable, over 1,700 hotels included in its supplier list, the construction of 15 supporting roads complete, announcements about enhancing security inspection released, arrangements for medical and legal services in place, and 5,000 volunteers ready, east China’s Shanghai is well prepared for the upcoming China International Import Expo (CIIE).

As the host for the first CIIE, which will be held from Nov. 5 to 10 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), Shanghai has prepared itself in every way.

“In order to better serve customers during the CIIE, our employees have been learning a new English sentence related to the CIIE each day,” said a local restaurant manager during a catering service skills contest held on Oct. 13 in Shanghai.

Aiming to create an enjoyable dining experience for domestic and foreign guests attending the CIIE, the expo organizer has allegedly upgraded restaurants and increased the number of restaurants for the expo to nearly 100.

Restaurants which serve special Shanghai cuisine including Xinghualou and Yang’s Dumplings will be open at the venue, while a central logistics warehouse has been set up to make sure that all ingredients served during the expo are 100 percent traceable.

According to the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration, the CIIE organizer has added about 411,000 beds in 1,711 hotels with over 80 available rooms to the supplier list and has also reached an agreement with online booking platforms on price stability, to ensure high accommodation standards during the expo.

The construction of 15 roads around the expo site is now complete, so too is the pedestrian corridor connecting Shanghai Hongqiao central business district with the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), shortening the walking time between Hongqiao traffic hub and the expo venue from over 1 hour to just 20 minutes.

Moreover, extended timetables have been added on 17 bus lines, eight new shuttle bus lines have been created, and 100 backup buses will be ready for emergencies each day.

Safety is another matter of importance for the CIIE organizer. On Oct. 12, the Shanghai Municipal Government released three announcements regarding enhanced security inspection on public transportation during the CIIE. Meanwhile, a series of intelligent security and protection systems are also expected at the expo.

Additionally, four medical service centers will be set up within the venue, and 18 designated medical institutions are planned to guarantee that all medical needs during the expo are met.

Furthermore, a dedicated court was established for the CIIE on Oct. 8, while the municipal judicial bureau of Shanghai published its action plan on safeguarding the CIIE with legal services including on-site and online legal consultation and mediation.

5,000 volunteers are expected in 100 service centers to help facilitate the expo. Also, since Oct. 1, immigration inspection stations in Shanghai have started to use special access channels for the CIIE, implementing various measures to simplify and optimize entry and exit procedures for the expo.