CIIE pools strength for jointly building open world economy

The ongoing 4th China International Import Expo (CIIE) held in Shanghai is offering the world a vivid demonstration of the new development drivers and opportunities China has brought to various parties by expanding opening-up.

Photo taken on Nov. 4, 2021 shows blooming flowers and fluttering national flags of different countries at the south square of the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), venue for the 4th China International Import Expo (CIIE). (People’s Daily Online/Weng Qiyu)

As a global public good for the world to share, the CIIE has provided new opportunities for world economic recovery and growth and pooled strength for jointly building an open world economy.

“Green” and “low-carbon” are key words of this year’s CIIE, signaling that promoting green economic recovery in the post-COVID era has become a general consensus.

A special exhibition zone for low-carbon energy and environmental protection technology has been newly added to the Intelligent Industry and Information Technology exhibition area of the 4th CIIE, where French multinational company Schneider Electric’s zero-carbon factory solution is showcased.

Thirty of the company’s factories across the world, including 14 in China, have reached the zero-carbon standard set by the company, according to Yin Zheng, executive vice president of Schneider Electric.

China has actively pushed ahead with green transformation and high-quality development, which provides more opportunities for and injects stronger impetus to the company’s business in the Chinese market, Yin noted.

America-based engine manufacturer Kohler Power, which has participated in the CIIE every year since its inception, puts on display exhibits including its latest environmentally friendly and efficient hybrid diesel engine and electronic fuel injection (EFI) gasoline engine at the 4th CIIE.

The CIIE has built an excellent platform for multi-level exchanges and cooperation, facilitated the reaching of a global consensus on common development, and helped encourage various parties to carry out further practices in low-carbon energy transition and upgrading, environmental protection, and other fields, said Li Shaoqi, commercial director of Kohler Power China and Asia Pacific.

Exhibitors from various industries have brought healthier, more diversified and more user-friendly products to the Food and Agricultural Products exhibition area of the 4th CIIE, mirroring the common aspiration of all people in the world to pursue a better life.

Citizens take photos in front of the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), venue for the 4th China International Import Expo (CIIE), Oct. 30, 2021. (People’s Daily Online/Wang Chu)

Danish biotech company Novozymes exhibits a wide range of biological solutions that cover almost every link of food production and consumption.

“We hope to, via the platform of the CIIE, help increase agricultural output, improve food quality and reduce food waste together with partners from different industries, so as to better facilitate industrial transformation and high-quality development,” pointed out Chen Xiaohui, president of Novozymes China.

Amorepacific Corporation, a South Korean beauty and cosmetics conglomerate, installed a lot of curved screens for its exhibition booth at the Consumer Goods exhibition area of the 4th CIIE.

Located in the center of the exhibition booth are five stands, each with a star product of the company on the top. After visitors pick up any one of them, the curved screen will play videos about details related to the product.

“We hope to better grasp the development opportunities offered by the Chinese market, and continuously respond to Chinese consumers’ expectations of a better life through product upgrading and innovation,” said Gao Xiangqin, president of Amorepacific China.

At the booth of American medical technology company Edwards Lifesciences at the Medical Equipment and Healthcare Products exhibition area of the 4th CIIE, a simulated operating room has been set up to show how its products are applied in real surgical procedures with holographic projection technologies.

“We have felt deeply how the CIIE has helped increase the popularity of products,” said Ye Tiancheng, general manager of Edwards Lifesciences China, who believes that the CIIE has further unleashed opportunities in the country and demonstrated the huge potential of the Chinese market.

German material manufacturer Covestro AG, which participates in the CIIE for the first time this year, showcases at the expo many new technologies and application cases concerning circular economy.

The CIIE reflects China’s determination and efforts to continue to relax market access and create a fairer and more transparent business environment, according to Markus Steilemann, chief executive officer of Covestro AG. He believes that the CIIE is not only an important occasion for multinationals to raise brand awareness, but a shared platform for companies to forge closer ties with cooperative partners and customers.

Unlike previous expos, this year’s CIIE has a special exhibition section for cultural relics and artworks, where heavyweight cultural relics and artworks from 11 countries and regions, such as the U.K. and Spain, are on show, including Beatrice Hastings devant une porte by Italian painter Amedeo Modigliani and Veduta di Venezia con il Molo della Piazzetta verso punta della Dogana by Francesco Guardi, also an Italian painter.

The 4th CIIE provides a high-quality platform for building a bridge of communication for culture and art, and creates broad space for close interaction between museum institutions, individual collectors and art lovers, pointed out Yang Yuancao, chairman of Christie’s China.