The 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE) was held in Shanghai recently, featuring an exhibition area exceeding 420,000 square meters. This year's event attracted 152 countries, regions, and international organizations, with nearly 3,500 exhibitors converging in Shanghai, including 297 Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders across various sectors - setting a new record. The stronger the "CIIE magnetism", the greater the opportunities within China, amplifying China's energy to promote shared global development.

Harnessing power of openness to build a new development paradigm

For the first time, CIIE set up a New Materials zone and continued to position itself as the launch pad for global products, pioneering technologies, and innovative services, showcasing over 400 distinctive new products, technologies, and services, along with an upgraded innovation incubation zone. CIIE enhances its function as a window into China's new development paradigm by strengthening the synergy between domestic and international markets and resources, while consolidating forces in innovation, sustainability, digitalization, and industrial chains to accelerate high-quality development.

Developing new quality productive forces aligns with China's policy and resonates with global markets. "China's continuous improvement in market, legal, and international business environments - through measures like enhanced IP protection - has created a more open, stable, and attractive ecosystem for innovation, which bolsters our confidence in growing with China," said Zhang Huijie, Vice President of Law, Patents & Compliance for Bayer Group Greater China.

Energy transition and low-carbon development have further increased China's appeal under the theme of "sustainable development". "Through the 'CIIE acceleration', we will continue developing innovative products and technologies in partnership with China to foster the development of new quality productive forces and shape a smart, low-carbon future," stated Yu Feng, President of Honeywell China.

Sailing along with the global digital wave, major multinationals showcased digital solutions. "Since entering China, Dun & Bradstreet has been dedicated to connecting China to the global market and integrating its companies into global supply and industrial chains through digital information connectivity," said Wu Guangyu, President of Dun & Bradstreet China.

Industrial chain collaboration is key to build a high-standard market system. At this year's CIIE, the China Patent Protection Association launched the "Hundred Chains and Thousand Enterprises" patent industrialization initiative. "This initiative has been met with enthusiastic support from upstream and downstream enterprises across major industrial chains. Digital products like the 'Standard Essential Patent Service Platform' and 'Docking Connect' also debuted at the expo," said Lei Xiaoyun, Vice President and Secretary General of the association. From its origins at CIIE, the long-term goal of "Hundred Chains and Thousand Enterprises" is "global expansion of thousand groups", organizing key industrial chain enterprises to engage in patent-intensive product trade and share value chains with the world.

Embracing openness to drive shared benefits

While the inaugural CIIE marked China's one-way invitation to the world, each subsequent event reflects a mutual commitment between China and the world, embodying the global desire for open cooperation.

Here people can see the perseverance of foreign-funded enterprises in taking root in China and devoting themselves to China: Xylem has long been helping China's sustainable development of water resources through the "Xylem Watermark". "In recent years, we have seen the Chinese government's increased support for technological innovation, market liberalization, and strengthened IP protection, creating a fairer, more transparent, and predictable business environment for foreign enterprises. This bolsters our commitment to consistently contributing our 'water wisdom' to China," said He Wei, R&D Director of Xylem China.

Here, China's commitment to "keeping promises" is palpable. Since its inception, CIIE has provided discounts for the least-developed countries on exhibition stand construction, logistics, and more. This year, 37 such countries participated, receiving over 120 free booths, and the food and agricultural product section expanded its dedicated zone for African goods. From December 1, China will apply a zero-tariff policy to 100% of products originating from the least-developed countries with diplomatic relations with China, ensuring that development benefits are more widely and equitably shared.

In the Technical Equipment Exhibition Area, a special showcase Lin-gang Area featured nearly 70 foreign-invested enterprises from Lin-gang special Area of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, highlighting achievements in high-end equipment manufacturing, new energy vehicles, and artificial intelligence. Recently, the Lin-gang branch of the Shanghai IP Protection Center was inaugurated, with several IP co-building bases and service institutions officially joining, fostering a new IP synergy in this frontier of industrial development. This IP "spring breeze" invigorates a vibrant ecosystem where "State owned enterprises dare to lead, private enterprises dare to venture, and foreign firms dare to invest", reflecting Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone's steady progress towards high-level institutional openness.

Through the 7th CIIE, the world once again witnessed China's unwavering commitment to openness, gathering momentum for development and seeking shared prosperity. China's continued reform and opening-up will remain a valuable opportunity for global development.