China International Import Expo brings Cyprus to China

An interview with LI Yaohui, Economic and Commercial counselor at the embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Cyprus, about the world’s first import-themed exhibition, which brings together 124 countries and regions.

Question: The China International Import Expo has been going for three years. Can you tell us what is the aim of staging this exhibition?

A: The China International Import Expo (CIIE) is the world’s first import-themed national level expo. President Xi Jinping delivered important speeches at all the past three opening ceremonies of CIIE. Many of the high-quality products and services introduced into China through CIIE not only meet the market demand for upgrading consumption and expanding imports in China, but also enable the rest of the world to share the market opportunities offered by China. China is ready to take the CIIE as an opportunity to work with other countries to build an open and win-win world economy, share our development fruits and opportunities, and make greater contributions to building a world community with a shared future for mankind.   

Question: Do foreign businesses exhibit products that Chinese businesspeople might want to sell in the Chinese market? What is the range of products on show? Are countries represented or individual businesses? Are businesses from one country put together in the same space/pavilion?

A: CIIE consists of three parts – the country exhibition, the business exhibition and the Hongqiao Economic Forum. The country exhibition is dedicated to promoting national image, products and services, not to make immediate transactions. The business exhibition is for enterprises to display their products, technologies and services. It is further divided into six sectors, i.e. food and agriculture products, automobile, intelligent industry and information technology, consumer goods, medical equipment and health-care products, and trade in services. The Hongqiao Forum is for dialogue among heads of governments and international organisations, scholars, and business leaders on the global economy and industry development issues.

Question: How many exhibitors were there in November’s CIIE and how many people visited? Are many business deals signed during CIIE?

A: Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the Third CIIE hosted by China is the largest online-off­line hybrid exhibition attracting the greatest number of participating countries in 2020. Exhibitors from 124 countries and regions took part, with a total exhibition area of 360,000 square meters. The exhibitors include 80 per cent of the world’s top 500 and industry-leading enterprises, attracting 40,000 registered purchasers. In total, $72.62 billion worth of deals were reached, up 2.1 per cent from the previous year.

Question: In what ways do you think Cyprus could take advantage of the CIIE?

A: Cyprus participated in all of the three previous CIIEs. During the inaugural CIIE, Cyprus signed the protocol for exports of Cyprus dairy products to China. Besides Halloumi, Cyprus businesses promoted wine, juice and Zivania during the past three expos, with all products attracting great interest among the Chinese purchasers. 2021 will mark the 50th anniversary of China-Cyprus diplomatic relations. It is our hope that Cyprus could set up a country pavilion during CIIE next year to better promote its services and products, especially its tourism industry, so that China and Cyprus could achieve a win-win cooperation in the post-pandemic world.

Question: Have businesses started signing up to participate in next year’s CIIE? What does a Cyprus business that is interested in participating have to do to take part? Can it be done online?

Hundreds of companies have already signed up to the 4th CIIE, which will be held from November 5th-10th, 2021 in Shanghai. Interested businesses could book a booth through the official CIIE website www.ciie.org or email the application to [email protected]. Early registration before January 31, 2021 means receiving a 10 per cent discount, and the booking deadline is May 30, 2021. Should the exhibitors encounter any problems, the Chinese Embassy stands ready to provide any necessary assistance