Better services on offer as Shanghai gets ready for a healthy import expo
The National Exhibition and Convention Center in suburban Qingpu District which will host the fourth China International Import Expo.
Better services and more vibrant business exchanges are awaiting people who will attend the upcoming fourth China International Import Expo, the Shanghai government said on Thursday.
To enable a smooth expo experience, unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the city government will implement strict pandemic control measures at the venue, but the attendees will "hardly feel it."
People who enter the expo venue will have their health status, latest nucleic acid test results and vaccination records digitally checked through a big data system, which will ensure efficiency at the entrance, the government said.
Previously it was announced that all people who enter the venue should possess negative test results for COVID-19 issued within 48 hours before their entry, and Chinese mainland residents attending the expo need to be vaccinated against the virus at least 14 days before entering the exhibition area.
Nucleic acid test services will be available to VIP guests, both from home and abroad, 24/7 at their hotels during the expo while expo staff can be tested at a parking lot near the venue, Wu Jinglei, director of the city's health commission, revealed.
"At the venue, 24 medical service points will be on stand by to receive suspected virus cases," he said. "A total of 120 doctors and nurses and 20 negative-pressure ambulances, used for transporting patients with infectious disease, will also be available."
Imported frozen food, which was said to be the source of the COVID-19 virus in many domestic clusters earlier, will be subject to strict quarantine before they appear at the expo, with exhibits banned from being sold on-site, he added.
Visitors will be able to use fifth-generation Internet which for the first time incorporates a drone communication system, which will make the online service more reliable and stable, according to the government.
Exhibitors and visitors will be entertained with cultural content provided by artists from all parts of the Chinese mainland as well as from Hong Kong. Italy will also present its culture at the event.
The fourth China International Import Expo will be held from November 5 to 10 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in suburban Qingpu District.
Participants of higher quality
Meanwhile, all general sections of the expo, including the national exhibition, business exhibition, the Hongqiao Forum and various supportive elements, are in a general state of readiness, according to Sun Chenghai, deputy director of the China International Import Expo Bureau.
The national exhibition will see a total of 58 countries and three international organizations participate, covering developed, developing and the least developed countries on five continents.
Among them, 15 countries are making their debut at the national exhibition, and five – Congo, Kiribati, Mauritius, Solomon Islands and Palestine – are taking part in the expo for the first time.
"Due to the impact of the pandemic, these countries had difficulties participating in the offline expo, and this year's online national exhibition provides them with a platform to participate in the CIIE and share the development opportunities in the Chinese market," said Sun.
This year will be the first time that the national exhibition will be held online.
New technologies such as 3D modeling and virtual engine will be adopted to build the immersive digital exhibition hall. Audience can browse through the exhibition hall online and get immediate access to information about participating enterprises from each countries and their exhibits.
Participating countries will showcase their development achievements, advantageous industries and cultural tourism on the online platform, fully displaying the diverse cultures and features of the world and each country's economic development.
The business exhibition will boast nearly 3,000 companies from 127 countries and regions – both numbers are higher than the previous edition.
Aside from developed countries, companies from more countries along the Belt and Road and in Central and Eastern Europe, and least developed countries will make their appearance at the enterprise exhibition.
Six major sections have been set up for food and agricultural products, automobile, intelligent industry and information technology, consumer goods, medical equipment and health care products, and trade in services, respectively, covering a total exhibition area of 366,000 square meters, a further expansion on the previous session.
Sun also underlined the higher quality of exhibitors, with more Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders participating. Of note, more than 80 percent of those who attended the 3rd CIIE in 2020 will be back this year.
The world's big three auction houses, top three fashion and high-end consumer goods groups, the top four grain merchants, and the top groups or enterprises in the automobile, industrial and electrical industries, medical equipment sector and cosmetics, are all taking part in the expo. A large number of new products will also be making their debut during the six-day event.
Domestic and foreign buyers have actively signed up for the expo, and a total 39 trading groups and 599 sub-groups will enter the venue for on-site communication and purchase.
Among all registered buyers from home and abroad, enterprises account for 82.6 percent. As for domestic companies, private firms account for 64 percent and small- and medium-sized enterprises 70.5 percent – both at a relatively high level.
In terms of industries, there will be more professional visitors in the manufacturing, wholesale and retail industries, totally accounting for nearly 30 percent, largely in line with the expo's setup.
Sun also mentioned the strong purchasing power of registered buyers, among which more than 1,200 posted an annual import value exceeding US$100 million.
The Hongqiao International Economic Forum, as a key part of the CIIE, this year will have the theme "World economy amidst profound changes: Global economic cooperation in post-COVID era."
A highlight at the forum will be a special session on the win-win cooperation among countries, as this December marks 20 years since China joined the World Trade Organization, with a special activity showing the progress and achievements in China's opening-up over the past two decades.
Twelve parallel sessions will focus on cutting-edge issues, such as green development and digital economy, in speaking out for building a community with a shared future for mankind.
