Businesses see CIIE as golden opportunity

Landmark Shanghai expo to enable more global companies to enter Chinese market, expand operations

For global companies, the China International Import Expo, taking place next Monday through Saturday in Shanghai, is a vital opportunity to strengthen ties in the increasingly important Chinese market and promote their long-term business goals.

Consider Honeywell International Inc, for example. The United States industrial conglomerate, which has dedicated itself to the goal of becoming a premier software-industrial company, has identified digital development as one of its core businesses in China, amid the nation's efforts to promote the Internet Plus strategy, according to the company.

More than 3,000 companies from over 130 countries and regions will showcase their latest products and services at the China International Import Expo. Provided to China Daily

"CIIE will offer a good opportunity for global companies to strengthen cooperation with China," said Shane Tedjarati, president of Honeywell Global High Growth Regions. "At the CIIE, Honeywell will have some signings with the Chinese customers."

At its booth in the high-end intelligent equipment demonstration zone of the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), where the CIIE will take place, visitors will see a series of connected solutions, including brand-new connected supply chain technologies, connected manufacturing platforms, wearable solutions, and virtual reality and augmented reality technologies, according to Tedjarati.

"Honeywell is making every effort to integrate with China's booming economy, that's why we are exhibiting our leading connected technologies at the CIIE," Tedjarati said.

Cooperation strengthened

Honeywell is among many international manufacturers keen to take advantage of the expo.

Jungheinrich AG, a German material handling equipment and logistics enterprise, plans to introduce five smart forklifts at CIIE. One of those models will be making its Asia-Pacific debut.

"We already have many clients in China, so we really would like to expand and work with the State-owned enterprises and get involved in more government projects," said Bai Daping, managing director of Jungheinrich in China. CIIE, he said, is "going to be really exciting for us."

Bai also expects to initiate some mindset changes in China via CIIE.

"We wish to promote the establishment of a new overall value evaluation system, which allows products with the best operation and maintenance costs, rather than the lowest selling price, to win more contracts in China through the expo," Bai said.

CIIE, the first national-level import-themed expo in the world, is also attractive to companies in sectors such as services and automotive.

Professional services provider PwC China has planned to demonstrate its efforts in blockchain and education, and its solutions in areas such as smart city construction and urbanization.

"The CIIE is a signal that China's economy is transforming from export-driven to demand-driven. In the transformation process, China needs a large number of imported goods and services," said Elton Huang, PwC China Shanghai senior partner. "The CIIE, as a platform, indicates that China wants to make matters related to imports more efficient and more orderly."

FedEx, the US international logistics service provider, rented a 180-square-meter booth, one of the largest in the Trade in Services exhibition area at CIIE, to demonstrate its customized shipping solutions for such industries as healthcare, e-commerce and auto parts. A series of new services that simplify the shipping process and cross-border e-commerce solutions that provide a better experience for importers and its sustainable efforts will also be on display, according to the company.

"As an active advocate and promoter of global trade, FedEx views CIIE as a great platform to demonstrate FedEx capabilities and solutions," said Eddy Chan, head of China and senior vice-president of FedEx Express.

"We believe participation at CIIE will provide us with more opportunities to grow and expand our SME business and help our customers harness the full potential of global trade opportunities," Chan added.

FedEx also plans to support Shanghai's intention to serve as a hub for new product releases, according to Chan.

"FedEx is committed to long-term development in China. We continuously invest in China to respond to customers' needs and meet long-term demand in the region," Chan said.

To date, more than 3,000 companies from over 130 countries and regions, which engage in sectors such as high-end manufacturing and automotive, have confirmed participation, among which, more than 200 are Fortune Global 500-listed companies or have been recognized as leaders in certain sectors. Meanwhile, more than 160,000 buyers from China and abroad have registered their participation in this expo, according to the event organizers.

Purchasing promoted

From the purchaser side, the upcoming event will serve as a platform for Chinese companies that are eyeing the great potential in the domestic market.

"During the expo, we expect to import at least 1,000 kinds of products and services that (so far) have not been sold in the domestic market," said Wang Zhe, Party secretary of leading Chinese retailer Suning Holdings Group. "In the next three years, we plan to import goods worth 10 billion euros ($11.5 billion)."

Xu Hailan, a management member of Suning's e-commerce platform Suning.com, said the expo will allow the company to communicate with a great number of brands and become a bridge to connect Chinese consumers and the global markets. It will also increase the number of import product offerings in the Chinese market and satisfy local consumers' demands.

Bright Food (Group), the Shanghai-based food producer, is taking on multiple roles as an exhibitor, purchaser and service provider at CIIE.

Bright Food has formed a purchasing team made up of its key subsidiaries such as chain store operator Nonggongshang Supermarket Group, or NGS, wholesales service provider Xijiao International and dairy products provider Bright Dairy.

Xijiao International said it plans to import frozen beef and lamb, seafood and fruit from countries such as New Zealand, Japan, South Africa, the US, Thailand and the United Kingdom.

To date, Shanghai authorities have formed four purchaser alliances - Cross-border Import E-commerce Alliance, Large Retail Purchaser Alliance, Integrated Trade Service Provider Alliance and Exhibition and Trade Service Alliance - to promote their procurement plans.

Realizing that the six-day exhibition is too short a period for exhibitors and buyers from all over the world to learn about and take advantage of business opportunities in China, Shanghai's commerce commission has established exhibition and transaction platforms that will be available all year round. These platforms are aimed at providing a channel for foreign products, services and technology to enter the Chinese market.