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Import expo a harbinger of progress

For many years, China has occupied the pole position in international trade rankings as the world's biggest exporter.

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Beacons of distinction

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Shanghai ready to host guests

From the revamp of landscape lighting along a 20-kilometer section of the Huangpu River, to the training of 5,000 volunteers ready to greet the crowds, Shanghai is ready to impress the world with the inaugural China International Import Expo.

Telecom trinity bolsters connectivity at CIIE site

China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom said that they have completed the expansion of their wireless communication capabilities, which would allow 300,000 people, the estimated daily maximum, to access the internet at speeds of up to 170 megabits per second using their mobile gadgets at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the host venue of the upcoming CIIE.

Hotels close to event venue see surge in bookings

Hotels adjacent to the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the venue for the CIIE, have seen an unprecedented volume of bookings from overseas visitors heading to the event.

What they say

The CIIE is a very important and positive signal to all participants in the market that China wants to have an open international trade environment, open trade policies, and a fair, competitive market. We can use this opportunity to have more collaboration with partners, and we can see the further opening-up of the Chinese domestic market for import. Today, we are a very localized company, manufacturing products in China and exporting to other countries. We will continue this process.

AstraZeneca 'inspired by the spirit of CIIE'

Editor's Note: The upcoming China International Import Expo shows China's determination to expand its opening-up for deeper economic exchange and communication with the rest of the world. China Daily interviewed top executives of well-known multinational companies for their views on the expo and China's further opening-up. For this issue, we talk to Leon Wang, executive vice-president at AstraZeneca.

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