Expo rallies support for multilateral trading

Aside from its tangible outcomes in terms of deals - a total intended transaction volume of $57.83 billion - the first China International Import Expo that concluded in Shanghai on Saturday was also tangible proof that China is continuing to open its doors and widening its market access to the rest of the world.

Speaking at the opening of the expo on Monday, President Xi Jinping said that openness, innovation and inclusiveness have become the hallmarks of Shanghai. And he said that having worked in the city he knew personally how important they were for its development.

So it should perhaps come as no surprise to learn that the expo was proposed, planned and promoted by Xi himself as a means to consolidate confidence in China's resolve to further open up to the world and its willingness to share its development dividends and opportunities with others.