CIIE preparations continue as expo draws closer

Preparations for the third China International Import Expo, which will be held from Nov 5 to 10 in Shanghai, are proceeding in an orderly manner, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

Gao Feng, the ministry's spokesman, said many exhibits have been shipped from the United States, Italy, Spain, Germany and other parts of the world to Shanghai.

A large number of them are undergoing advanced entry procedures. The first declaration of entry exhibits was cleared by Customs authorities on Sept 28.

Gao said the quality of exhibits has continued to improve, and the level of professionalism among participants has also steadily increased over the last two years.

China's provinces and State-owned enterprises participating in the expo have established a number of trading groups in accordance with the requirements of normalized epidemic prevention and control measures, according to the ministry.

The China International Import Expo Bureau, the event's organizer, has held 23 promotional road shows in 19 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities this year.

It brought information about the event and market trends to more than 1,900 purchasing companies and business associations, attracting half a million online viewers during these events, Gao said.

The expo will emphasize safety, strengthen epidemic prevention and control measures and continue to improve the event's overall quality, he said.

Since preparations resumed on July 1, the National Exhibition and Convention Center, the expo venue in Shanghai, has hosted 30 other exhibitions already, attracting more than 2 million visitors.

So far, the events have been orderly and seen zero new on-site cases of COVID-19.