Chinese expo to provide export opportunities

China will host its first international import expo from November 5 to 10, 2018 in Shanghai, an initiative announced earlier this year by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Belt and Road forum in Beijing.

It will provide new opportunities for countries around the world to expand export to China and create a platform to engage in international trade and share business opportunities with each other.

The Chinese Embassy in Kingston said it represents the country's wish to open its market to the world, and shows its active role as a major power in undertaking the responsibility of pushing forward economic globalisation.

"It is our sincere hope to, through [the] holding of China International Import Expo, keep promoting trade liberalisation and facilitation, make concerted efforts to make the cake of global trade bigger, give play to the leading role of economic and trade cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative," read a statement from Jianghong Fan, economic and commercial counsellor at the embassy.

It is also intended to "make good use of the driving role of international trade on the growth of (the) world economy, and contribute to a more vigorous, inclusive and sustainable economic globalisation", the statement added.

ON-THE-SPOT NEGOTIATIONS

"We will organise on-the-spot negotiations and purchase for domestic and foreign purchasers through multiple channels and arrange targeted matchmaking fairs according to the characteristics of the exhibits and China's domestic consumption demands," the statement indicated.

"We will also build a one-stop transaction platform to offer online and offline services, and continue to provide online exhibition and transaction services between expos.

"We would like to work with countries all over the world and international organisations to build China International Import Expo into a first-class expo in organisations, open new channels for international trade and cooperation, facilitate the interconnected growth of global trade and world economy, and achieve mutual benefit and common prosperity," the statement said.

The expo will showcase two exhibitions, one on the Belt and Road countries' trade and investment, including their goods and services, tourism, and featured products, and the other on varied business sectors, including consumer electronics, auto, clothing, food, medical equipment, service outsourcing and education.

Hongqiao International Trade Forum will also be held during the expo with participation by state leaders, ministers, heads of international organisations and business representatives.

The Belt and Road initiative, Xi Jinping's most ambitious foreign policy, was launched in 2013 and involves China underwriting billions of dollars of infrastructure investment in countries along the old Silk Road linking it with Europe.