First China International Import Expo

(Foreign Affairs in the New Era)

Updated:2020-01-19 | By:China.org.cn

First China International Import Expo

China is the world's most populous country, second largest economy, and second largest importer and consumer. Its consumption is expanding, creating great space for import growth. This offers other countries an unprecedented opportunity to enter the huge Chinese market. President Xi Jinping announced, at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in May 2017, that "China will host the China International Import Expo (CIIE) starting from 2018."

The first CIIE was held in Shanghai in November 2018, involving 172 countries, regions and international organizations, and more than 3,600 enterprises attended the event. The expo attracted more than 400,000 domestic and overseas customers. Deals worth a total of $57.8 billion were agreed.

Against resurgent trade protectionism and a backlash against globalization, this grand import fair displayed China's resolution to pursue a new round of high-level opening- up. It was a concrete action to promote an open world economy and support economic globalization.

The CIIE was the world's first import expo held at the national level - a first and an innovation in the history of global trade.

首届中国国际进口博览会

中国拥有全球最多的人口,是全球第二大经济体、第二大进口国和消费国。目前,中国已经进入消费规模持续扩大的新发展阶段,消费和进口具有巨大增长空间,这为世界各国企业进入中国大市场提供了历史性机遇。2017年5月,习近平在“一带一路”国际合作高峰论坛上宣布, 中国将从2018年起举办中国国际进口博览会。2018年11月,首届中国国际进口博览会在上海成功举办。本届进博会共吸引了172个国家、地区和国际组织参会,3600 多家企业参展,超过40万名境内外采购商到会洽谈采购,累计意向成交578.3亿美元。在当前贸易保护主义和逆全球化抬头的背景下,举办进博会是中国推动新一轮高水平对外开放的郑重宣誓,也是中国推动建设开放型世界经济、支持经济全球化的实际行动。此次博览会也是迄今为止世界上第一个以进口为主题的国家级博览会,在国际贸易发展史上是一大创举,在当今世界贸易促进领域也是独一无二的。