China News Service, Shanghai, November 9 (Fan Yubin) At the 9th China International Import Expo being held in Shanghai, many Chinese businessmen said in interviews with China News Service on the 9th that the CIIE is the "entrance" for overseas companies to enter the Chinese market, and they have made an appointment to continue to attend the CIIE next year.
From 90 square meters to more than 400 square meters, Li Linguo, chairman of the South African China Dream Investment Co., Ltd. and permanent honorary president of the Shanghai Federation of Industry and Commerce of Southern Africa, talked about the changes in the area of the South African exhibition area over the past nine years. He said: "More profound changes are hidden in the exhibits. In the early years, South African consumer products such as Rooibos tea and red wine played the leading role. Nowadays, industrial cooperation content such as navigation and aviation, metal processing, and auto parts account for half of the exhibition."
"In the past nine years, South Africa's positioning for the CIIE has been changing - from simply selling products to displaying South Africa in an all-round way and bringing Africa's industrial development needs to the CIIE." Li Linguo said that this coincides with the needs of Chinese companies to go overseas and has become an opportunity for companies from the two countries to deeply bind.
Jin Lin, vice president of the Shanghai Federation of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs and CEO of the Argentina (Shanghai) Innovation Center, who has participated in the exhibition for nine consecutive times with "full attendance", witnessed the iteration of Argentine products from the "old three" of wine, olive oil, and beef to multiple categories.
This year, Jinlin brought an unexpected surprise: an Argentinian aquatic products company that had only participated in industry exhibitions tried the CIIE for the first time. Two days before the exhibition, it had already locked in an order for 3 to 5 containers. “Originally they were worried that the comprehensive exhibition industry was not accurate enough, but they found that the CIIE platform was larger and had more opportunities.”
In addition to traditional food, science and technology incubation is the focus of the Argentina (Shanghai) Innovation Center's participation in the CIIE in recent years. This year, they brought 7 scientific and technological companies to the innovation incubation zone, covering life medicine, intelligent technology and other fields. The number has more than doubled compared with previous years. Jin Lin said that the CIIE has given Argentine small and medium-sized enterprises the courage and confidence to enter the Chinese market.
Fang Zhiwei, the honorary president of the Fiji Chinese Culture, Arts and Economics Federation, who is participating in the exhibition for the first time, has been busy in front of the Fiji booth these days. He brought mineral water and noni puree enzyme from the South Pacific island country of Fiji, and the popularity far exceeded expectations. Fang Zhiwei believes that overseas Chinese enterprises have the responsibility to introduce high-quality local products to help upgrade China's health industry and practice "buying from the world and benefiting the world".
At this year’s CIIE, the overseas Chinese innovation project pavilion established for the first time became a highlight. It was hosted by the Shanghai Overseas Chinese Federation and organized by Kejia Incubation Investment. Zhao Yunhao, co-founder of Huashang and Kejia Incubation (Shanghai) Technology Co., Ltd., said that they adopted a joint exhibition model, bringing together more than 30 companies from 15 countries and regions and more than 100 exhibits, covering Shanghai's modern industrial systems such as artificial intelligence and biomedicine.
"The CIIE is not just a stage for big companies, overseas Chinese entrepreneurs can also shine." Zhao Yunhao said that for start-ups, it is crucial to be seen and recognized. Exhibiting companies have achieved efficient docking with upstream and downstream cooperation institutions, investment and financing institutions and consumer markets in the industrial chain, and at the same time received "365-day never-ending" follow-up services to continue to accompany their growth. In addition, professional visitors from various countries and overseas Chinese groups visiting the exhibition can also help companies connect to global resources.
From traditional trade, to in-depth cooperation in the industrial chain, to the continuous emergence of scientific and technological innovations, the ninth CIIE has witnessed the iterative upgrading of the Chinese business community. For them, the CIIE is no longer a six-day exhibition, but a long-term link between China and foreign countries. As many Chinese businessmen said, the CIIE is not only an "entrance to the sea" but also a "gas station".
