Commentary: When some raise trade barriers, China opens the door wider

SHANGHAI, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- As some countries raise trade barriers, China is rolling out the welcome mat for thousands of businesses from around the world at its annual import expo.

While protectionists see free trade as a threat, China takes a different view: an open market offers consumers at home greater choice and access to quality products, while creating more business opportunities for companies around the world.

Opening on Thursday for its ninth edition, the China International Import Expo (CIIE) is bigger than ever, underscoring the growing appeal of China's vast and increasingly open market.

With exhibition area exceeding 440,000 square meters, a new record, a total of 4,142 overseas enterprises from 162 countries, regions and international organizations are present. Among them are more than 300 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders. Over 2,000 are first-time exhibitors.

By bringing global businesses together at the annual expo, China is turning its commitment to high-level opening-up into concrete action. But the expo is only one part of the picture. The country's import figures offer further evidence of its efforts to open up its vast market to the world.

Data from the General Administration of Customs of China shows that China's imports grew 22.3 percent year on year in the first three quarters of this year. Import growth outpaced export growth by 5.9 percentage points, with imports from over 110 countries and regions growing faster than exports to them.

As always, U.S. companies will top the exhibition area for the eighth time, up 1,500 square meters this year from last. European businesses are also maintaining a strong presence at the expo.

The strong participation of U.S. and European exhibitors underscores the enduring commercial appeal of the Chinese market. Despite political rhetoric about "decoupling" and calls to weaken economic ties, companies continue to see tangible value in access to China's vast consumer market and its extensive supply chains.

The significance of the CIIE extends beyond the presence of global corporate giants. Equally important is the opportunity it creates for smaller businesses, particularly those from the Global South, to gain a foothold in the Chinese market.

This is reflected in the expo's arrangements for under-represented economies. Its exhibition area for products from Asia and Africa will be further upgraded this year, while free exhibition space for least developed countries will increase by 17 percent.

These measures will not level the playing field for smaller exporters overnight. But they can give businesses with limited resources something invaluable: a chance to put their products on the radar of buyers in a major market.

An open market is not just a place for overseas companies to sell their products. It is also where domestic consumers enjoy greater choice and local industries face new competition while finding opportunities to cooperate.

More than 480 products are set to make their global, Asian or China debut at the expo, a record number that will give Chinese consumers and businesses access to new products, technologies and ideas from around the world.

At a time when protectionism is rearing its head, the CIIE sends a clear message: openness is not a concession, but a source of shared opportunity.

By opening its market wider to the world, China is demonstrating that trade works best not when countries shut others out, but when they create more room for businesses, consumers and economies to grow together.