Shanghai: The 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE), the world’s first national-level exposition dedicated to imports, opened in Shanghai, showcasing China’s firm commitment to global cooperation, which injects much-needed certainty and stability into the global economy. Chinese Premier Li Qiang, during a keynote speech at the opening ceremony, pledged that the country would promote high-standard opening up, steadily expand institutional opening up, and advance comprehensive pilot programmes to accelerate the service industry’s opening up.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the six-day event has set a new record in scale. It boasts participation from 155 countries, regions, and international organisations, with 4,108 overseas exhibitors and a total exhibition area of over 430,000 square meters, according to the Ministry of Commerce. “This is a clear vote of confidence in the Chinese economy and a show of strong support for the CIIE from all parties involved,” said Wu Zhengping, deputy director-general
of the CIIE Bureau.
Vice Commerce Minister Sheng Qiuping highlighted that China has been the world’s second-largest import market for 16 consecutive years, with its goods and service imports set to top 15 trillion U.S. dollars during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). China’s ruling party recently concluded a pivotal meeting, approving recommendations for the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan, a roadmap that will steer national development through 2030, reaffirming China’s commitment to high-standard opening up and fostering mutually beneficial cooperation.
The event has attracted 290 Fortune 500 and leading industry players, with American companies maintaining the largest exhibition area for the seventh consecutive year. The Volkswagen Group and Alfa Laval have both scheduled significant meetings at the expo venue, indicating a strong determination among multinational corporations to deepen roots in the Chinese market. L’Oréal Group CEO Nicolas Hieronimus, attending for the first time, remarked, “The
CIIE offers us valuable certainty and demonstrates China’s firm commitment to high-level opening-up and high-quality development.”
The 8th CIIE is showcasing 461 new products, technologies, and services, further establishing its reputation as a grand stage for cutting-edge ideas. This year’s focus includes future industries like the low-altitude economy, humanoid robotics, new-generation IT, AI, and green, low-carbon development. Boehringer Ingelheim, a German pharmaceutical company, has evolved from an exhibitor to an investor in China, planning to invest more than 5 billion yuan in R and D in the country over the next five years, according to its Greater China President and CEO, Mohammed Tawil.
China’s business environment continues to attract foreign investment, with 48,921 new foreign-invested firms registered in the first three quarters of 2025, marking a year-on-year increase of 16.2 percent. From 2021 to 2025, China attracted over 700 billion U.S. dollars in cumulative utilized foreign investment, wi
th 25,000 more new foreign-funded enterprises than in the previous five-year period.
The CIIE has consistently provided preferential treatments and conveniences for the least developed countries (LDCs), establishing a dedicated exhibition area for their products for the first time. The expo has also launched a cross-border e-commerce platform to help overseas SMEs access the Chinese market efficiently. China has become the primary trade partner for more than 150 countries and regions, with its imports projected to exceed 15 trillion U.S. dollars from 2021 to 2025, generating substantial tax revenue and employment for host countries.