CIIE a platform for cooperation and innovation-driven growth

The eighth China International Import Expo opening in Shanghai from Wednesday to Monday next week confirms that China's market remains one of the most promising destinations for trade, investment, innovation and cooperation.

At a time when talks of "de-risking "and "decoupling" from China have gained traction in some quarters, the high attention being paid to the CIIE demonstrates that the international community's confidence in the prospects of the Chinese economy and market remains strong.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period, China deepened its internal and external economic linkages. Its average annual contribution to global economic growth has remained around 30 percent, and it was among the world's most influential players for both inward and outward investment.

Since its launch in 2018 as the world's first national-level import expo, the CIIE has embodied China's commitment to opening-up. Roughly 23,000 overseas exhibitors have participated in the past seven editions, showcasing around 3,000 new products, technologies and services. These events have also delivered an intended transaction volume in excess of $500 billion.

This year the enterprise exhibition area and number of participating enterprises have both reached new highs, signaling that global corporations aspire to engage in the high-quality development of the world's second-largest economy, and share the dividends and opportunities.

They clearly see that China is still growing at a fairly rapid pace, and offers a consumer base of over 1.4 billion people. At the same time, China's in-depth reforms and high-standard opening-up are creating ever-broader opportunities for international collaboration.

Over the past decade, China has continually optimized its policy on foreign investment in sectors such as telecommunications, internet services, education and medical services — all underpinned by the implementation of the Foreign Investment Law and the reduction in foreign investment restrictions. There are less than 30 items left on China's negative list for foreign investment, and zero items in the manufacturing sector. Tariffs and nontariff barriers are also significantly lower than in many other developing markets. And the opening-up of its services sector, especially at the institutional level, will continue in the future.

What makes the CIIE particularly significant this year is that it follows closely after the fourth plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee, in which China's leadership underscored the importance of high-quality development, new quality productive forces and high-standard opening-up. The expo offers a tangible platform for the commitments articulated at the plenary session to be translated into real-world engagement. In this context, the CIIE is more than a trade show — it is a demonstration of China's institutional confidence and a bridge linking global companies with Chinese partners, technologies and market.

As the world experiences a new wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation, China is accelerating its digital, intelligent and green transformation. At the expo, participants can learn firsthand about China's enhanced business environment. The event connects international companies and their products with local players, enabling cooperation powered by China's industrial innovation and economic transformation.

Partnering with China means embracing opportunities. That rings truer than ever with the world in desperate need of pathways out of weak growth and disrupted supply chains.

This year's expo highlights China's efforts to share its development opportunities. For instance, the number of African enterprises registering for the expo this year is up 80 percent year-on-year. They, along with exhibitors from other Global South countries, are well aware that China's opening-up is not selective — it is inclusive, global and oriented toward common benefit.

China's institutional strengths, wider opening-up and innovation-driven growth are all evidenced by the expo. Through the CIIE, China is adding new confidence and impetus to global growth and world development featuring openness, inclusivity and sustainability.