China International Import Expo, held in Shanghai on Nov 5-10, enjoys a marked increase in high-profile coverage throughout this year by news media outlets based outside the Chinese mainland

The number of reports about the fourth China International Import Expo issued by media from outside the Chinese mainland from January to November increased by 35 percent year-on-year, indicating a stronger influence of the event internationally.

A total of 17,871 pieces of information were released by media from outside the Chinese mainland over the 11 months, according to a report released by the CIIE Bureau on Monday.

According to the report, about 2.54 million pieces of information about the CIIE were released between January and November. More than 1.5 million of them were published during the expo, which ran on Nov 5-10.

Sun Chenghai, deputy director-general of the CIIE Bureau, said that the fourth CIIE illustrated China's achievements in pandemic control and economic development, and contributed to economic globalization and the construction of an open world economy.

He said the broad media coverage demonstrated the competitiveness of the CIIE among other trade fairs. Expanding influence is a main factor for developing the annual event.

"We hope all relevant parties continue to highlight, participate in and support the annual event to boost its global influence," Sun said.

According to Dong Mengjun, executive director of People's Daily Online Public Opinion Data Center, the communication model of the fourth CIIE has four key features. They were media activities which ensured people were kept aware of the CIIE throughout the year; a significant increase in terms of foreign media coverage, which contributed to better telling China's stories to the world; media reports that covered a wide range of aspects to reach more people; and new reporting technologies and forms used to illustrate the charms of the CIIE.

This year, win-win cooperation, expanding opening-up, consumption upgrading and RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) were the most-frequently used words during the fair. Buzzwords included advanced technology, green and low carbon, new products debuts and cultural exchange.

The fourth CIIE boasted more than 2,900 exhibitors across six exhibition areas. Among those to enjoy the most coverage from the mainstream media were Danone in the Food and Agricultural Products Exhibition Area; Michelin in the Automobiles Exhibition Area; Siemens in the Intelligent Industry and Information Technology Exhibition Area; L'Oreal in the Consumer Goods Exhibition Area; Bayer in the Medical Equipment and Healthcare Products Exhibition Area; and Christie's in the Trade in Services Exhibition Area.

Among the exhibition areas, the Intelligent Industry and Information Technology Exhibition Area ranked the first in terms of popularity for its cool scientific products.

Popular items at the 2021 fair included Yves Saint Laurent's lipstick printer, wearable blood glucose meters, a robotic ping-pong player and the third generation of smart cleaning robots.

As the only strategic partner of the CIIE, Bank of China enjoyed much media coverage. Many stories were published to report leading trade missions and supporting activities, such as the 15th Belt and Road Eco-Agriculture and Food Safety Forum. Cultural exchange programs were also picked by media.

This year, print media and online media that made significant reports included People's Daily, Guangming Daily, Xinhua Daily Telegraph, People's Daily Online and Xinhua Net. China Media Group and Shanghai Media Group also broadcasted a great number of programs when covering the CIIE.

Media from Shanghai were a major force in reporting the 2021 CIIE with a large number of stories published. Industry-focused media also produced a significant number of stories.

Preparation for the fifth CIIE are now ongoing. So far, more than 180,000 square meters of business exhibition space has been booked, faster than last year.

Officials attend an event where the China International Import Expo Bureau releases a report on the influence of the fourth CIIE on Monday.