Beijing, November 3rd
The curtain of the third China International Import Expo will begin. President Xi Jinping will deliver a keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony.
Personally planning, personally deploying, and personally promoting, President Xi devoted a lot of effort to the CIIE. At the previous two CIIEs, President Xi had a special arrangement after attending the opening ceremony-to visit the museum with foreign leaders.
The exhibits in the exhibition hall have their own characteristics. President Xi and foreign leaders watched as they walked, stopped to experience from time to time, leaving behind a classic moment, becoming a vivid testimony of China’s open cooperation with the world and a shared future——
French beef: “star products” enter the shopping basket of Chinese people
On November 5, 2019, President Xi inspected the French Pavilion accompanied by French President Macron.
At the second CIIE, French President Macron enthusiastically invited President Xi to taste French wine and beef at the French Pavilion in the Exhibition Hall of the Shanghai National Convention and Exhibition Center.
At that time, President Xi told the French entrepreneurs who surrounded him that China’s consumer market was large and could meet the diverse needs of different levels. He hoped that French entrepreneurs would show long-term vision and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with China.
Mr. Kant, president of Metro China, the international retail giant, has a deep understanding of what President Xi said “China’s consumer market is huge.” The “star product” French Charolais beef at the previous two CIIEs has already entered the shopping basket of the Chinese people from the CIIE booth. Not only has it become a “hot item” in Metro supermarkets, it has also driven Metro imports in the first half of this year. Overall beef sales increased by 128% year-on-year.
In the context of the sluggish world trade, the rising sales of French beef is the epitome of the contrarian growth of Sino-European trade. According to Eurostat data, in the first seven months of this year, the total import and export volume of the 27 EU member states and China increased by about 2.6% year-on-year, and China surpassed the United States as the EU’s largest trading partner for the first time.
“What is traded is goods and services, and what is exchanged is culture and ideas.”
Kant, who is familiar with the Chinese market, has his own understanding of the “new development pattern of domestic and international double-cycle mutual promotion” repeated by President Xi: “The new development pattern is very far-sighted, very pragmatic, and is determined to promote opening up, China’s economic resilience and growing expansion. The middle-income people in the country will provide inexhaustible impetus for the new development pattern.”
Kenya flowers: try a new form of “cloud exhibition”
Kenya is the world’s largest flower exporter. At the first CIIE, the colorful Kenyan flowers became a cluster of bright colors among many exhibits. When visiting the museum with foreign leaders, President Xi stopped here and asked Kenyan President Kenyatta who was accompanying him to learn about the situation.
“The CIIE is a very ideal platform for exchanges and cooperation.” Clement Tulezi, CEO of the Kenya Flower Association, said: “At present, the scale of our annual export of flowers to China has reached 4,000 tons.”
Since the beginning of this year, the European flower market has shrunk sharply due to the impact of the epidemic, and more Kenyan florists have turned their attention to China. “This year we will participate in the exhibition through video connection, and hope that more Chinese customers can receive Kenyan flowers.” Tulezi said.
During the first CIIE, President Kenyatta once said to President Xi: “Kenya is grateful for China’s initiative to open up the market for this major initiative, and regards Africa as an important direction for China’s opening to the outside world.” These words spoke a lot. The voice of African countries.
Coffee beans from Rwanda, handicrafts from Burkina Faso, cashew nuts from Tanzania…In recent years, more and more African products have entered the Chinese market. “China’s commitment to opening wider to the outside world is very firm. We have seen opportunities and gained confidence from it,” Tulezi said.
Vietnamese milk: a solid foundation has been laid in the Chinese market
At the first CIIE, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc personally introduced his country’s agricultural products and tourism projects to President Xi.
“Chairman Xi came to our booth and picked up a box of fresh milk to learn more about the product.” Cai Xiang, chairman of TH Real Milk Group in Vietnam, recalled.
The CIIE has become an opportunity for Vietnamese dairy products manufacturers to enter China. In 2019, TH Real Milk Group signed a memorandum of understanding on strategic cooperation with a Chinese partner company and became the first Vietnamese dairy company to obtain an export code issued by the General Administration of Customs of China.
This year, due to the impact of the epidemic, TH Group’s efforts to develop export markets were forced to suspend. “Fortunately, through channels such as the China International Import Expo, we have laid a solid foundation for trade promotion in the Chinese market.” Cai Xiang said with great pleasure.
In the first half of this year, China-Vietnam bilateral trade bucked the trend and increased by more than 18%. In September, when President Xi talked with the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of the State Nguyen Phu Trong, he specifically mentioned: “Under the epidemic, bilateral trade and other cooperation between China and Vietnam have shown a strong growth momentum, demonstrating the resilience and potential of China-Vietnam relations.”
Not only the trade between China and Vietnam, but the overall trade volume between China and ASEAN has also maintained a growth momentum. In the first three quarters of this year, China’s imports and exports to ASEAN increased by 7.7%, and ASEAN became China’s largest trading partner. At the end of November, after the third CIIE, the 17th China-ASEAN Expo will kick off in Nanning, Guangxi. This will be another grand event for China to share development dividends with neighboring countries.
Greek wine: along the “One Belt One Road”
Greece participated in the second CIIE as the guest of honor, and its Mediterranean-style exhibits attracted a lot of attention.
After the opening ceremony, accompanied by Greek Prime Minister Mizotakis, President Xi visited the Greek Pavilion.
“President Xi appreciated the exhibits in the museum, such as the ‘Fruit and Symbol’ jewelry exhibition and the ‘5000 Years of Greek Civilization’ art sculpture exhibition, and he also noticed the Greek wines exhibited.” Kostas, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, was on the scene at the time. · Fragonard Yannis recalled.
Greece is located at the intersection of the Maritime Silk Road and the Land Silk Road. In recent years, riding on the east wind of the “Belt and Road” initiative, China-Greece economic and trade cooperation has continued to deepen and expand.
Olive oil, wine, honey More and more Greek products enter the Chinese market, winning the favor of Chinese companies and consumers.
This year’s CIIE is the second time that Greek wine merchant Elena Apasto Lido participated.
“The CIIE has helped our products become well-known in China and the entire Asian region. The epidemic has severely hit our business, and we hope to discover new market opportunities at the third CIIE.” Apasto was full of longing for it. .
The total exhibition area has expanded by nearly 30,000 square meters. Nearly 50 Fortune Global 500 and industry leading companies will participate for the first time.
Hundreds of new products, new technologies, and new services will be launched in the “world premiere, China first exhibition”… The Expo will cast a beam of brilliant sunshine on the world economy under the haze of the pandemic.
