Their “first day at the Expo”

Xinhua News Agency, Shanghai, November 6 (Reporter Zhou Rui) On the 5th, the ninth CIIE opened. From participating in the exhibition for the first time to becoming "repeat customers", how did global business executives and guests spend their "first day at the CIIE"? What are their expectations for the CIIE and China’s opportunities?

American fashion brand Ralph Lauren is the “new face” of the CIIE. The Ralph Lauren booth covers an area of ​​more than 300 square meters. From wilderness and seaside to manors and cities, from green plants, homes to cafes and other scenes, it uses an immersive experience to present the "ideal life" in the eyes of founder Ralph Lauren.

Ralph Lauren Asia Pacific CEO Cai Xinhui said that her "first day at the CIIE" was a bit fresh, "We came with a learning mentality."

"Although we have been in China for more than 40 years, participating in the CIIE further demonstrates our confidence and long-term commitment to the Chinese market." Cai Xinhui said that the brand has not only established three social e-commerce platform flagship stores in China, but also introduced live broadcasts in the show to drive consumption with the "see now, buy now" model. "This innovation from the Chinese market is feeding back into the global market."

When attending the opening ceremony, Medtronic Chairman and CEO Jeff Massa specially wore the "9" badge representing the "Nineth Perfect Student". This year, he led his global senior management team to participate in the CIIE, embarking on his first CIIE journey.

"As an important platform connecting China and the world, the CIIE has created vast opportunities for global exchanges and cooperation in medical technology innovation." Jeff Massa lamented that for the first time it participated in the CIIE nine years ago, Medtronic's exhibits were "all imported." This year, the new exhibit "Medtronic Comfort's new orthopedic surgery navigation and positioning system", which made its world premiere at the CIIE, was independently developed by the Medtronic China team and in-depth co-creation with Chinese orthopedic experts, becoming part of "Intelligent Manufacturing in China". In the future, more businesses are expected to benefit from the in-depth cooperation and innovation between China and the United States.

"Medtronic continues to increase its investment in China. On the one hand, it expands local R&D capabilities, and on the other hand, it invests in Chinese medical technology companies to help these companies establish themselves in China and go global." Jeff Massa said.

After attending the opening ceremony in the morning and attending the sub-forum of the Hongqiao International Economic Forum as a guest in the afternoon, Li Jianhui, Chairman of the Singapore Federation of Industry and Commerce, started his first CIIE trip. His "first day at the Expo" was full of rewards. "After I took office in June this year, I participated in three exhibitions in China in a row." Li Jianhui said that this year, the Singapore Federation of Industry and Commerce organized 54 Singaporean companies to participate in the exhibition, including traditional brands and innovative companies, covering areas such as food, consumer goods and professional services.

"The CIIE provides Singaporean companies with an important platform to directly connect with the Chinese market, helping them consolidate existing cooperative relationships and explore new development opportunities." Li Jianhui said that since its first participation in the CIIE in 2018, the Singapore Federation of Industry and Commerce, as the official exhibition organizer, has led Singaporean companies to achieve a cumulative trade volume of more than S$500 million at the CIIE.

If "new students" have new ideas, returning customers "constantly see new things."

On the morning of the 5th, Roy Van Denk, CEO of Theland Dairy Co., Ltd., attended the opening ceremony of the Hongqiao International Economic Forum for the sixth time.

Roy Vandenk said that the biggest change in the past nine years is that "the circle of friends has become larger." Starting from the sixth CIIE, Theland has brought more New Zealand companies to participate in the exhibition. Many companies such as Pacific Alpaca have gained a foothold in the Chinese market from the initial "gathering overseas" and are now exhibiting independently at the CIIE. "The platform effect and spillover effect of the CIIE continue to appear. This year, we teamed up with the New Zealand Trade Development Council to bring 33 companies to the exhibition in one go."

With forums, tours, visits and meetings, Masaharu Nakayama, executive director of Panasonic Holdings Co., Ltd. and general representative of the group in China and Northeast Asia, had a busy first day at the CIIE. "Every time I participate in the CIIE, I am deeply shocked by the grand structure and diverse ecology of China's industries. Not only is the exhibition hall huge in scale, but also countless companies are exploring various possibilities here." Zhongshan Zhengchun said that the strong thirst for knowledge, keen grasp of business opportunities and open attitude of actively seeking cooperation displayed by people from all walks of life in China, as well as the breadth, enthusiasm and speed displayed by the entire market, are all amazing.

"China's innovative vitality, complete supply chain and outstanding talents are the basis for us to continue to increase investment in China. We believe that if we can win in the Chinese market, we can win in the global market." Zhongshan Zhengchun said.

At this year’s CIIE, Côte d’Ivoire’s official pavilion made its debut at the Enterprise Exhibition. Standing on the "first day of China International Import Expo", Karaji Fadiga, director of the Export Bureau of Côte d'Ivoire, has already begun to look forward to the "report card" - the export bureau has brought more than 20 companies to participate in the exhibition in one go, with a booth area of ​​about 200 square meters.

Since May 1 this year, China has fully implemented a zero-tariff policy with 53 African countries that have diplomatic relations with China. At the same time, it has further expanded access to African products exported to China through upgrading "green channels" and other means. Côte d'Ivoire is one of them. "I believe that China's zero-tariff policy will definitely benefit our cocoa and chocolate by-product export companies, and will bring us abundant opportunities in the next five days." Karaji Fadiga said.