About three weeks remain before the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) opens. The ninth CIIE will be held from November 5 to 10 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce and the Shanghai Municipal People's Government.
According to official CIIE information, more than 1,200 enterprises from 99 countries and regions have signed up for this year's business exhibition, over 100 more than the previous edition, with a contracted exhibition area exceeding 340,000 square meters, reaching 95 percent of the expected target. Among them are 265 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders, 10 more than last year; 169 enterprises and 30 institutions will participate for the ninth consecutive time with full attendance.
For the country exhibition, Moldova, Romania and the United Nations Development Programme will participate for the first time, and Canada will serve as the guest country of honor for the second time. The CIIE will continue to offer free booths to the least developed countries and upgrade its Asian and African product zones, helping enterprises from relevant countries share the opportunities of China's large market.
The ninth Hongqiao International Economic Forum, held alongside the Expo, is scheduled for November 5 to 6 under the theme 'Stability and Cooperation: Jointly Building an Open World Economy.' A number of internationally renowned scholars will attend, and the World Openness Report will be released for the sixth consecutive year.
The CIIE is the world's first national-level exhibition themed on imports. China's 15th Five-Year Plan outline has explicitly called for continuing to run the CIIE well.