Organizer of CIIE shifts focus of preparatory work

The preparatory work for the 2018 China International Import Expo has shifted focus to organizing the exhibition instead of attracting participants.

A channel has opened on the official website of the import expo for online registration for trading groups to further accelerate the formation of local purchasing groups of provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions.

The state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission has set up a state-owned enterprise trading group and central SOEs have formed sub-groups, with 98 of them becoming the first batch of purchasers.

The first import expo, to be held in Shanghai from November 5 to 10, also plans to invite over 150,000 overseas buyers, mostly governments' procurement delegations and overseas trading groups. 

Meanwhile, the import expo plans to promote targeted business canvassing to optimize the structures of purchasers. For the next step, the bureau will launch global road shows to attract more overseas buyers to the expo.

The China International Import Expo Bureau said on Wednesday that the import expo will deepen the connection of supply and demand both online and offline before, during and after the expo so that value-added services will be provided to both exhibitors and purchasers.

An example was the first offline matchmaking session for supply and demand sides held at the end of April when over a hundred purchasers from 47 central enterprises, local state-owned enterprises, large-scale private companies and foreign-funded companies met to link up with 25 Fortune 500 companies and leading companies.

Next Thursday, the bureau will hold another session to promote communication and connections for participants in the food sector.

So far, companies from over 120 countries have signed agreements to attend the expo, the bureau said, adding that more than 160 companies are members of the Fortune 500 list or leading firms in their industries.

Companies from countries along the Belt and Road are also encouraged to participate at the expo, according to the bureau.