Government officials, academics and C-suites laud effects of CIIE

Editor's note: This year marks the fifth anniversary of the China International Import Expo. Over the past four editions, the CIIE has reaped remarkable success in promoting international procurement, investment promotion, people-to-people exchanges and open cooperation. On Aug 25, government officials, experts and scholars from various fields and institutions gathered to share suggestions on how to further promote the CIIE's role in boosting the domestic and foreign markets, businesses, and foreign capital attraction, and the Hongqiao International Economic Forum's role in contributing Chinese wisdom to the world's economic resurgence and revitalization.

Leader's address

The hosting of the CIIE is a major decision made by China to promote a new round of high-level opening-up and a major initiative taken by China to further open its market to the world. In the past five years, in accordance with the general requirements of continued success, the CIIE has gone from strength to strength. The quality of the expo has been improved; the role of the fair has become increasingly prominent; and its international influence has become more extensive. The Ministry of Commerce, together with the Shanghai municipal government and relevant departments, will make concerted efforts to overcome difficulties, do a good job in the preparations for the fifth CIIE, promote the better organization of the CIIE and welcome the victory of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China with practical actions.

Sheng Qiuping, member of the Communist Party of China Leadership Group of the Ministry of Commerce and vice-minister

What they say

Imports are becoming increasingly important to the process of building a new development paradigm and the CIIE can make significant contributions in this regard. First, importing high-quality and diversified goods and services can meet people's aspirations for a better life, promote consumption and expand the domestic market. Second, we should pay attention to the imports of resource-intensive products. Importing such products can relieve the pressure on China's resources. Third, importing advanced equipment and intermediate inputs can effectively improve the level of domestic manufacturing. Fourth, more foreign-funded enterprises can be introduced to promote the internationalization of domestic industries through the CIIE.

Jiang Xiaojuan, member of the Standing Committee of the 13thNational People's Congress and vice-chairperson of the Social Construction Committee of the National People's Congress

Apart from facilitating business activities in the areas of trade in goods and services, the CIIE's organizers should expand exhibition space for trade in technologies to meet domestic companies' needs for improvements to their level of competitiveness. This will not only provide more access for Chinese companies to purchase patents, trademarks and copyrights from global markets, but also help them find new growth points in artificial intelligence, industrial chips and biomedicine via cooperation with their foreign partners.

Zhou Hanmin, vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the China National Democratic Construction Association and vice-chairman of the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference

The CIIE has a significant role in promoting business attraction and foreign investment. It has helped turn exhibits into commodities and exhibitors into investors. In addition, the CIIE has helped domestic enterprises become trailblazers in overseas markets and also enhanced our exhibition's comprehensive services and supporting innovative capabilities, putting forward more comprehensive and detailed requirements for transportation, communications, ports, customs clearance, services and intellectual property protection. The high-level and high-quality Hongqiao International Economic Forum provides an excellent communication and exchange platform for politicians, businessmen and researchers around the world to discuss multiple themes including the global economic and trade new paradigm and digital economy.

Hong Junjie, member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee of University of International Business and Economics and vice-president of UIBE

I think the CIIE is a reflection of the global trade pattern. Second, the CIIE reflects a new start in China's attempt to usher in a new round of globalization. The globalization promoted by China is not only about selling and buying. The continuous success of the expo shows that China is willing to share its dividends with people of the world. Third, the CIIE is a new window for a new phase in mutual learning among nations. The enterprises and people from various countries that participate in the expo not only do commodity trading and have economic and trade exchanges, but also do their part in lifting the economy, which has been under pressure.

Wang Wen, executive dean of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies under Renmin University of China

We can shed light on the CIIE's functionality from the perspective of balance of international payment, structural change of trade and supply-side structural reform. The expo is connected with our change in industrial structure and consumption upgrading. The CIIE has also had an important effect on major regional strategies. We can view the CIIE as an important element in the construction of the dual-circulation paradigm. My suggestion is to construct an upgraded CIIE that has an even larger scope. We should make new contributions to the rebalancing of the global economy, help with poverty alleviation around the world and nurture new overseas emerging enterprises and industries.

Dong Yu, standing deputy dean of the China Institute for Development Planning under Tsinghua University

At the fifth CIIE this year, while demonstrating our environmental concerns, Panasonic will also make efforts to contribute to China's dual carbon goals by introducing more green products, energy conservation and emission reduction programs and technical support.

Zhao Bingdi, president of Panasonic Electric (China)

As one of the representatives of the contracted exhibitors of the fifth CIIE, we will take this opportunity to strengthen innovation and deepen cooperation. While displaying our own innovative achievements, we will also help Chinese enterprises seek more development opportunities that would benefit more Chinese patients, consumers and growers.

Zhang Lei, vice-president of Communications of Bayer Group Greater China