By Zhao Zhanhui, Shen Shaotie, People’s Daily
Shanghai has once again embraced the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in this golden autumn.
The aroma from the Food and Agricultural Products section, the waving robotic arms in the Intelligent Industry & Information Technology, as well as the people lining up in the Medical Equipment & Healthcare Products section on the first day of the grand event all signaled the lively atmosphere in the National Exhibition and Convention Center. A safe, splendid and promising CIIE is unfolding.
Strict safety measures ensured
“We feel safe to exhibit our products here,” said Yamada Genki, manager of the business development division of Japanese enterprise Marubeni (China) Co., Ltd., who had long finished facing the exhibits before the opening of the CIIE.
Yamada was once worried before the exhibition kicked off, as the global trade fair, which might attract a huge number of visitors, was to be held during a special phase of time. However, his concerns soon disappeared after he arrived in Shanghai. “Strict epidemic containment measures were ensured at the airport, hotel and the venue, and I had my temperature measured at least three times before entering the venue,” he told People’s Daidy.
Great orders are being kept in exhibition areas despite the huge visitor flow. Facial recognition and chip verification are carried out at security gates in the venue, after which body temperatures and nucleic acid test results are shown. Disinfecting tissues and other anti-epidemic materials are offered in places that are easy to reach. Besides, medical aid is also provided in case of emergencies.
The advanced and comprehensive epidemic containment measures are offering a high sense of security for visitors.
Higher desire to shop
On the first day of the CIIE, a large number of new products, technologies and services finished their world debut, including the “greenest” meat, the meat analogue, as well as the tumor-treating fields that are able to cure tumors noninvasively.
At the booth of Carrefour, visitors were lining up to have a taste of its imported wines, vinegars, and truffles.
“Our exhibition area expanded from 100 square meters the last year to 150 square meters, and the number of our exhibits also doubled,” said Ma Kang, an executive from Chinese e-commerce platform Suning.
Executive vice president of Volkswagen Group China gave a high evaluation of the green development concept of the CIIE. “Blue sky and white clouds are outside the venue, and low-carbon products are inside of it. This time we have brought 8 pure electric vehicles, which conforms to the vision of green development,” he said.
With higher exhibition capacity, the CIIE is becoming more professional and offering greater services. Many visitors said they had stronger willingness to shop at the event.
Stronger strength to facilitate transactions
On the first day of the CIIE, Zhejiang Loong Airlines Co. Ltd. became the first company of the Zhejiang trade mission to sign a deal, buying four backup engines and maintenance services of 38 engines. The contract value hit $636 million.
“The CIIE is driving our transformation and upgrading from a traditional airline to a provider of comprehensive civil aviation services. Our industrial chain is continuously expanding,” said Liu Qihong, chairman of board of the Zhejiang-based enterprise.
Apart from satisfying domestic buyers, the CIIE is also an exciting event for overseas exhibitors.
British drugmaker AstraZeneca displayed a mobile disease screening vehicle at its exhibition booth. The vehicle, loaded with a variety of testing machines, is able to finish disease screening wherever it goes.
“The vehicle can go to county-level hospitals, rural health centers and rural clinics, to bring quality medical technologies to more people,” said Leon Wang, executive vice president, international and China president with AstraZeneca. “As China continues to expand its investment in primary-level health, we are quite optimistic about the huge Chinese market. It’s believed that more concepts in the health industry will be turned into reality by the CIIE,” he said. So far, the deals signed by the drugmaker are approaching 9 billion yuan ($1.36 billion).
Daimler AG, an “old friend” of the CIIE, also brought its latest passenger vehicles, off-road vehicles and trucks to the grand event. “This year’s CIIE has greatly boosted confidence for industries,” said Hubertus Troska, a board member of the carmaker.
