SHANGHAI, March 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The past two editions of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) have proven to be successful, attracting many members of the global business community that managed to achieve fruitful results through their participation.  

As the expo provides foreign enterprises with opportunities to explore the vast potential of the Chinese market, the event has been viewed by many as an ideal platform for new product launches.

The preparation for the third edition this year is in full swing. As of the end of January, more than 1,000 companies have confirmed their participation and over 50 percent of the expo venue's total exhibition area has been booked.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CIIE bureau on March 12 – one month earlier than last year - revealed the list of the first batch of 143 exhibitors taking part in this year's event so as to facilitate matchmaking between exhibitors and buyer companies.

Out of the enterprises that are listed, nearly 40 percent are Fortune Global 500 enterprises and over half are industrial leaders, including Swiss drug maker Roche Group and Japanese electronics manufacturer Panasonic.

These exhibitors have signed up for more than 100,000 square meters of exhibition space in sectors such as trade in services, automobile, medical equipment, manufacturing, food and agricultural products, and consumer goods.

Wang Hongwei, head of the division of buyers' services at the CIIE bureau, said that the early announcement of expo information is crucial to attracting foreign investment and tapping into potential opportunities.

The early release of the list of exhibitors will provide companies with more time to explore business opportunities and sales channels and engage with business partners, said Richard Yiu, General Manager, Roche Diagnostics China.

Zhao Bingdi, managing officer of Panasonic China & Northeast Asia, said that the list will play an important role in boosting exhibitors' confidence in the expo and the Chinese market in light of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

"Panasonic has full confidence in the Chinese economy and will continue its investment the Chinese market," he added. 

According to the organizers, preparations for the third CIIE will continue through means that do not involve physical contact, such as phone calls, video calls and emails, so as to prevent the spread of the epidemic.

The Business Exhibition of the third CIIE will comprise six areas: trade in services, automobiles, consumer goods, intelligent industry and information technology, medical equipment and healthcare products, and food and agricultural products.

The CIIE is the first expo in the world that is dedicated to imports. This year's edition, the third since the expo's inception in 2018, will take place in Shanghai from Nov 5 to 10.

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SOURCE CIIE