Preparations in full swing for city's digitally smarter import expo

Preparations for the fourth China International Import Expo (CIIE) are in full swing, a press conference heard on Monday, as the 100-day countdown to the event will be marked on Tuesday.

The fourth CIIE will be held between November 5 and 10 and preparation progress is being made, said Gu Honghui, the city's deputy secretary general and director of the CIIE service guarantee office.

"A digital approach will be implemented in security, transportation, accommodation and catering related to the expo," Gu told the press conference.

In total, fast self-help check-in and check-out services at 600 hotels will be launched for the event to further improve the accommodation experiences of guests, said Gu.

Digital apps will also be used in the catering area to track and manage the transportation process of food materials.

Fixed and temporary catering venues and mobile vans will provide meal services and a diversity of food options, said Gu.

Attendees also will be able to make online orders and take food away offline during the event, said Sun Chenghai, deputy director of China International Import Expo Bureau.

"More diversified meal options will be provided and the meal service hours will be further prolonged for the fourth CIIE," said Sun.

The construction of a smart security system will be accelerated and intelligent approaches will be imposed in traffic guidance and direction.

CIIE's parking reservation system will be improved with the use of an intelligent system.

A big data platform will assist in COVID-19 prevention.

"We will focus on six key areas, such as the entrances of pavilions, hotels and venues, where activities will be held, to safeguard people's health," Wu Jinglei, director of Shanghai Health Commission, told the press conference.

"Closed-loop management and whole-chain tracking mechanisms will be imposed," he said.

All expo attendees and service staff will be required to take a nucleic acid test, according to Wu.

"Public health safety assessments and dynamic analysis will be conducted, and 30-plus hospitals in the city will provide 24-hour emergency services to attendees," he said.

There will be five medical service spots and 20 to 30 ambulances at the expo venue, according to Wu.

"The key areas of CIIE will be turned into a visual landscape display area of the city," said Gu.

A hundred attractions, 100 floral streets and 100 floral belts will be created to achieve this goal, he said.

Greenery and lighting facilities will be further improved.

The city's customs and market authorities will further deepen reforms to create a world-class business environment for attendees.

About 200 drills will be conducted to ensure the smooth operation of the expo.

"The targets of the fourth CIIE are more effective epidemic control and prevention, more refined services, smoother city operations, more significant spillover effects and an even more brilliant CIIE brand," said Gu.

Refined operations, high-standard services and high-quality guarantee for the event will also fuel the development of the city's soft power, he added.