Shanghai is ready for CIIE

2018-11-03

After over one year's preparation, everything is getting ready for the first China International Import Expo to be kicked off in two days, authorities said at a press conference this morning.

"The CIIE is the first ever national exhibition in the world with the theme on import, and is expected to become a world-class expo that engages the best companies, exhibits the best products, builds the best environment, provides the best services, and achieves the best results," said Wang Bingnan, Chinese vice minister of commerce.

On the morning of November 5, Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of the first CIIE and the Hongqiao International Economic and Trade Forum and deliver a keynote speech.

Government leaders from over 130 countries and heads of international organizations, global business leaders, famous experts and scholars, and around 1,500 representatives from China's ministries, central agencies, and regional governments will also attend the opening ceremony, after which Chinese and foreign leader will visit the country pavilions.

As an important part of the CIIE, the first Hongqiao International Economic and Trade Forum, themed as "Unleashing New Vigor in Global Trade, Creating a New Pattern for Open and Win-Win Cooperation," will be a high-level platform for government officials, entrepreneurs and scholars to discuss significant and frontier topics in global trade and economy.

The forum consists of an opening ceremony and three parallel sessions which are separately themed on trade and opening-up, trade and innovation, and trade and investment.

The parallel sessions will be composed of guest speech and panel discussion, with over 2,000 participants. Dozens of political leaders from related countries and regions will be invited to deliver speeches, and heads of international organizations, well-known entrepreneurs from home and abroad, and experts and scholars will discuss hotspot issues in international economy and trade.

"We hope the three parallel sessions will be a high-level platform for exchanges and dialogues on international trade and economy," Wang said.

The National Comprehensive Trade and Investment Exhibition, abbreviated as the National Exhibition, has an area of about 30,000 square meters. In addition to China, there are 81 participating countries and international organizations such as the World Trade Organization, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the International Trade Center.

Of note, the pavilions of different countries have distinct features, and all materials used in building the booths and pavilions are module-based and environmental friendly ones that can be recycled.

The national exhibition is for display only with no commercial transactions.

Exhibits are being set up at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai on November 2, 2018.

As for the business exhibition, it consists of trade in goods and services, featuring large scale, broad geography, huge presence of quality companies, numerous new products and technologies, and high-level presentation, according to Wang.

"With 91 percent of its booth specially decorated, the business exhibition has seven sections of distinctive characteristics and multiple highlights," Wang said.

The seven sections are: high-end intelligent equipment, automobile, consumer electronics and appliances, apparel, accessories and consumer goods, food and agricultural products, medical equipment and health care products, and trade in services.

Also, about 200 diverse and distinctive events on the sidelines of the CIIE will be held to promote business and multiply its impact, Wang said.

The events cover six categories, which are national thematic event, forum, release, business matching, luncheon and dinner and reception, and show.

Exhibits are being set up at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai on November 2, 2018.

All aspects ready

In the meantime, Shanghai has got all aspects of urban services ready by now through nearly one-year intense preparation, according to Zhou Bo, executive vice mayor of Shanghai.

Shanghai has comprehensively strengthened securities, Zhou said.

During the CIIE, Shanghai will carry out security measures such as safety inspections on public transport means, safety management of dangerous goods and "low, slow and small" aircraft, in order to ensure a safe and secured CIIE, Zhou said.

Also, the city optimized the construction of the National Exhibition and Convention Center and surrounding roads, and has further improved traffic signage around the exhibition halls, remarked traffic sign lines which cover an area of 110,000 square meters around the halls, and set up 674 various signs.

"The city fully implements traffic security programs, sticks to focusing on large passenger flows, unveils traffic control measures, and launches navigation app for public transport and CIIE, in order to realize faster enter and exit of vehicles and personnels," Zhou said.

Moreover, the city has stuck to fully optimize urban services and create urban atmosphere.

Over 540 comprehensive trainings on service skills have been carried out among 240,000 staff in over 40 key areas such as airports, stations, and hotels within the city.

The city has recruited 5,438 exhibition volunteers, set up 315 urban volunteer service stations and nearly 250 volunteer service teams through cooperation with adjacent municipalities in the Yangtze River Delta region, and they have been providing volunteer services wearing uniforms since October 23.

"We have carried out three comprehensive urban security drills and over 240 special drills since September, so as to timely discover problems and make improvements, constantly adjust and optimize measures, and comprehensively improve the level of service," Zhou said.

"At the last critical moment of CIIE, Shanghai will make full use of every minute, spare no pains and determine to achieve a successful expo."

Source: SHINE

Editor: Huang Yixuan