Sustained efforts behind CIIE witness to China’s commitment to opening-up

As the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE) is on the horizon, the CIIE Bazaar has captured public attention with its unique presence. The CIIE Bazaar City Arena, located on Nanjing Road East in Shanghai, which is showing products identical to those to be exhibited at the CIIE, has drawn local residents and tourists to make purchases, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Saturday.

Established in May 2024, the platform serves as a vivid manifestation of the spillover effects of the CIIE, which is also an example of China's ongoing efforts to expand imports.

The CIIE garners global attention as China's window of opening up to the world, attracting thousands of foreign companies showcasing new products, technologies, and services each year. However, sustained efforts beyond the exhibition halls also bear witness to China's firm determination to open up and the market opportunities it offers.

Behind the transformation from eye-catching "samples" on the exhibition stands to ordinary daily commodities lies the growing consumer acceptance of global high-quality products and continuous improvements in import supply chain and service systems.

For example, by leveraging the spillover effects of the CIIE, authorities improved the business environment and introduced trade facilitation reforms, including an innovative customs supervision model that streamlines the declaration, physical inspection, and release stages of customs clearance. New Zealand dairy company Theland has been one of the major beneficiaries of these measures, which allow its fresh milk produced in New Zealand to reach Chinese consumers' hands in just 72 hours.

Such measures have extended the nation's opening-up efforts beyond the import expo, establishing a long-term mechanism for the continuous release of the dividends of opening-up. China's import facilitation system has demonstrated greater resilience and sustainability, offering global businesses stable expectations for accessing the Chinese market.

As the Chinese market continues to open up, a broader and more diverse range of development opportunities is emerging, strengthening the appeal of the CIIE as a vital global platform for promoting trade, fostering innovation, and building long-term commercial partnerships in an increasingly challenging international marketplace.

This year, the CIIE will feature 4,108 overseas exhibitors from 155 countries, regions and international organizations, with the total exhibition area exceeding 430,000 square meters, setting a new record in scale, Vice Commerce Minister Sheng Qiuping said at a press conference last week. Behind these figures is the firm confidence of global businesses in China's super-sized market.

From Chilean cherries, Peruvian grapes and Brazilian coffee, to fruits from Southeast Asia and medical devices from Europe, high-quality imported goods not only meet the domestic consumption upgrade demands but also open up a channel for foreign businesses to share the opportunities of the Chinese market and achieve the deep integration of industrial chains and value chains.

Fundamentally, the sustained extension of CIIE opportunities embodies a virtuous cycle where market opening and consumption upgrading reinforce each other. As Chinese citizens' incomes rise and consumption concepts evolve, demand for high-quality, diverse goods and services continues to grow, further driving the refinement of import systems. Meanwhile, the continuous introduction of imported products propels China's consumer market toward higher quality and innovation.

This positive interaction between opening-up and upgrading is reshaping China's role in the global economic landscape. No longer just the "world's factory," China is emerging as a "global marketplace" aggregating premium products worldwide. Through the CIIE and various trade facilitation measures, China is demonstrating a more open, inclusive, and mature market environment. As China's large market becomes the world's great opportunity, it not only benefits domestic consumers but also offers the global business community stable growth prospects and ample room for development.

Amid global economic uncertainties, China is providing certainty with the regular vitality of its import market, injecting impetus into its own development while contributing Chinese strength to the recovery of the world economy.