Preparations have begun in earnest for China’s sixth import expo to be held in Shanghai in the first week of November.
China’s Ministry of Commerce says more than 300 domestic and foreign guests from more than 30 countries and regions are expected to attend the conference starting November 5 to November 10.
The exhibition under the theme of ‘Joining hands in development, opening up for the future’ would happen concurrently with an investment summit – dubbed "Invest in China Year".
It is expected that more than 3,300 companies from more than 120 countries – including Kenya, and regions will appear at the enterprise exhibition.
The economic forum will be attended by world leaders – for the opening ceremony, and will also have several parallel sessions.
Song Shangzhe of the China International Import Expo Bureau told reporters that registration is open for countries and companies seeking to participate in the expo.
“Guests from all walks of life will conduct in-depth exchanges on international issues such as cooperative development and innovation sharing from different perspectives, and contribute wisdom to global openness,” he said.
“The forum serves as a platform for high-level dialogues and people-to-people exchanges in the international political, business, and academic communities.”
The bureau official went on, “China's huge market demand brings opportunities for developing countries' commodity exports, two-way investment, and cultural exchanges and cooperation.”
The enterprises are expected to display their products, technologies and services.
There would be six major exhibition areas including food and agricultural products, automobiles, technical equipment, consumer goods, medical equipment, medicine and health care and service trade.
“It would build global consensus on the construction of an open world economy and a community with a shared future for mankind,” Shangzhe said.
“The CIIE provides an important platform for developing countries to share China's consumer market. Companies from developing countries can more easily understand Chinese and international market demands through the CIIE, and Chinese consumers can also learn about their speciality products.”
China holds that through the expo, “speciality commodities from developing countries and least developed countries continue to enter the Chinese market and gain tangible benefits.”
The expo would also mark the tenth anniversary of President Xi Jingping directive for China to open up its doors for free trade.
The World Openness Report 2023 would also be released at the forum, the organizers said, adding that free booths would be given to some countries to exhibit their products as an incentive.
“There are some special "booths" at the CIIE every year. They are free booths provided by the CIIE to exhibitors from the least developed countries. The small booths open a window to China's large market for these countries,” Shangzhe said.
The investment summit would project topics among them green development, the resilience of the global industrial supply chain, international cooperation in agriculture, and the role of finance in serving the real economy.
Last year, more than 420 items were launched for the first time including flying cars, lipstick printers, transparent TVs, robots that can play table tennis, and energy-saving and environmentally friendly recycled paper technology.
The Commerce Ministry said the China pavilion will focus on demonstrating China's promotion of high-level opening up and the latest achievements of high-quality development.
A “10th Anniversary Achievements Exhibition of the Construction of the Pilot Free Trade Zone” will also be set up.
In addition, more than 100 supporting conference activities will be held during the conference, and five countries including Indonesia and Malaysia will also participate in people-to-people and cultural exchange exhibition activities.
“We sincerely welcome everyone to have the opportunity to visit the CIIE and see it with your own eyes,” Sangzhe said.
Topics related to developing countries at the fifth forum include "deepening South-South cooperation in industrial parks and special economic zones to accelerate the realization of inclusive and sustainable industrialization".
There would also be discussions on, "Practice global development initiatives and build world-class enterprises",
"Promote global food security and rural revitalization through economic and trade governance".
“These forums promote the continued expansion of influence on issues involving developing countries,” the organizers said Thursday.
The registration process for professional audiences of the sub-forum was officially launched on September 12.