Annual expo serves as a key platform for global businesses tapping into dual circulation pattern

The first list of exhibitors to participate in the 2021 China International Import Expo was released on Wednesday at a conference attended by members of the fourth CIIE Enterprise Alliance, marking a major milestone in preparation for the expo's fourth edition.

According to Sun Chenghai, deputy director-general of the CIIE Bureau, each of the 160 companies on the list is a Fortune Global 500 company or leading industry player.

"The early access to exhibitor information will accelerate matchmaking between buyers and sellers and generate more business,"Sun said.

Members of the fourth CIIE Enterprise Alliance also revealed a proposal during the meeting that aims to support China's new development pattern of dual circulation.

The 2021 CIIE, set to run from Nov 5 to 10 in Shanghai, will host a continuous business exhibition, a country exhibition, the Hongqiao International Economic Forum and an array of supporting activities.

The planned space of the business exhibition is 360,000 square meters and it will have six exhibition areas: Food and Agricultural Products, Automobiles, Intelligent Industry and Information Technology, Consumer Goods, Medical Equipment and Healthcare Products, as well as Trade in Services.

The overall exhibition plan has obtained approval from the central government, according to CIIE organizers.

Sun said the fourth CIIE will improve the expo's professional service standards and set more subsections serving sectors such as integrated circuits, biomedicines and innovation incubation to support China's new development pattern of new circulation in 2021.

Efforts will also be taken to strengthen communication between buyers and sellers so both parties have more success finding potential business partners during the CIIE.

Sun, who is also the general secretary of the fourth CIIE Enterprise Alliance, said he hopes the fourth CIIE Enterprise Alliance, which appointed L'Oreal as its rotating chairman for this year, can play a bigger role in attracting leading companies, professional media and institutions to subsections in 2021. He also encouraged the alliance to embrace the new development paradigm and tap into more business opportunities in China.

Liu Fuxue, deputy director-general of the CIIE Bureau, said the fourth CIIE Enterprise Alliance will pay greater attention to making the annual CIIE a comprehensive and professional trade fair－meaning each exhibition section a comprehensive trade fair for each specific industry.

The special committees will be vital to support the alliance's work."There will be 40 events during the year including policy interpretation, roadshows, matchmaking and new project sign-ups," Liu said.

"Members of the fourth CIIE Enterprise Alliance and special committees will visit more local governments, enterprises and industrial parks to better serve trade and investment in other parts of China," he added.

Eight special committees of the expo across different sectors including public health and pandemic prevention, dairy, industrial digital transformation, auto innovative development, smart supply chain, daily consumer products, sports and agricultural products have been launched. First held in 2018, the annual CIIE is receiving recognition from global enterprises and expanding its reach to new areas.

"The annual CIIE is an accelerator for resource integration and innovation and offers a new angle for relevant parties to learn about different enterprises," said Wang Tingting, vice-president of Decathlon China, which participated at the CIIE in 2019 and 2020.

This year, German skincare brand Nivea will participate for the first time in the CIIE.

"We will strive to be a cultural communication platform that not only brings premium products to Chinese consumers but also that tells Chinese stories to German people," said Ketin Lei, general manager of corporate affair at Nivea Shanghai.

Eric Chen, partner of digital and emerging tech at EY, said the annual event will support supply chain network upgrades in China and play a significant role in supporting China's new development paradigm.

Zhang Shouchuan, party secretary of Bank of China Shanghai branch, said that digital Chinese yuan will be used at the fourth CIIE.

The first list of 160 exhibitors of the 2021 China International Import Expo is released on Wednesday at a conference attended by members of the fourth China International Import Expo Enterprise Alliance. CHINA DAILY