China International Import Expo 200-day countdown begins

Following the great success of China's first International Import Expo (CIIE), the organizers began the 200-day countdown of the second expo in Shanghai on Friday and released the first batch of exhibitors and preparation works.

The enterprise exhibition area of the second CIIE will reach 300,000 square meters, 30,000 more than the first exhibition. Based on last year's experience, an open-air exhibition area is planned for heavy or gigantic mechanics and machines, helping exhibitors out of the pit of dissembling and assembling the machines indoor. Also, new technologies like artificial intelligence and virtual reality will be set up in the exhibition.

The quality life, and medical equipment and health care sectors are newly designed to satisfy the diversified needs of Chinese consumers.

Leading companies such as LVMH Group, L'oréal, Unilever, Procter &Gamble, Lego, Estee Lauder, Shiseido, Amorepacific Corporation, Kao Corporation, Kieninger, and Sketch have signed to participate in quality life, while the exhibition area for medical equipment and health care products will be divided into sections for drugs, medical equipment, health care products, and senior-care and rehabilitation.

A Louis Vuitton shop in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. /Reuters Photo

Thousands of enterprises have signed agreements to participate the second CIIE in November, including global giants like Panasonic, Samsung, Qualcomm, Bosch Home Appliances, 3M, SAP SE, De'Longhi, Infineon Technologies, and Ricoh Company.

New exhibitors such as GlaxoSmithKline plc and Siemens will also join, showing their latest products for the Chinese market.

Major exhibiting companies in the first CIIE such as Roche Holding AG, Novartis, AstraZeneca, Johnson &Johnson, Bayer AG, Philips, Danaher Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Novo Nordisk have all confirmed their attendance to the second import expo.

"We've set up an open-air exhibition area this year for heavy and large-scale mechanics and vehicle. As for the indoor exhibition area, we've added a quality life sector and health care and senior-care area. These are the highlights of the second CIIE," said Sun Chenhai, deputy director of CIIE bureau.

"In detail, last year we had drugs, medical equipment, health care products exhibition areas, and we have separate areas especially planned for senior-care, which is almost fully taken."　

Gong Anming, executive vice president of Elekta Instrument (Shanghai), said, "Through the CIIE, a good platform was provided. So we decided to start the China company (Elekta Instrument), which is more than a mere change of name. Elekta Instrument China is the largest produce, R&D, and distribution center out of Europe. After Elekta China, we have also established the Shanghai company to develop new product and new solutions for China and Chinese patients."