New international participants embrace vast business opportunities at Hainan Expo

Many new participants from different countries are actively exploring business opportunities at the ongoing China International Consumer Products Expo.

The expo started in Hainan's capital city Haikou on Saturday and will run until April 18. It has drawn over 4,000 brands from 71 countries and regions.

This year, Mongolia and the United Kingdom have set up their national pavilions for the first time. Sohail Shaikh, UK Deputy HM Trade Commissioner for China, attended the opening ceremony of the UK Pavilion on Saturday, emphasizing the expo's importance for British companies to expand their customer base in the Chinese market.

"It is the first time we've attended and brought the British Pavilion here. We brought 14 fantastic brands with us. We believe this expo is a great opportunity to widen our customer base in China and give opportunities to the brands to meet new customers," said Sohail Shaikh.

Exhibitors from Mongolia showcased an array of Mongolian specialty products, including delicate cashmere goods.

"We hope to offer a wider range of products to the Chinese market via the CICPE's platform," said Tumenbayar, Commercial Counselor of the Embassy of Mongolia in China.

In addition, some international exhibitors made their debut at the Hainan Expo, showcasing their products and exploring new business opportunities here. "This is my first time coming to the Hainan Expo. I've been going to the CIIE (China International Import Expo) for the last three years, and through the CIIE I came to know about the Hainan Expo. I come here on the very first day, (and find) there are a lot of people over there," said Habib, an exhibitor from Pakistan who chose to stay in China and pursue his career in business after studying in Shanghai.

"This is the first time at the Hainan Expo. We've been preparing for this expo for half a year. I think we have very small expos and not so big opportunities (in the Czech Republic). If we come here to a world-class expo which is really nice and very big, we have a lot of business opportunities," said Yavani, a Czech exhibitor.

New international participants embrace vast business opportunities at Hainan Expo

Automotive practitioners and consumers at the ongoing Beijing Auto Show have highlighted the growing popularity of new energy vehicles (NEVs)in the country, and expressed optimism that electric vehicles are set to gain more market share in the near future.

The show, which features 278 NEVs, comes as NEV sales hit a milestone in early April, accounting for more than 50 percent of cars sold in China, showing an overwhelming trend that the Chinese auto industry is going electric.

Consumers are attracted to the novel looks and smart features of rapidly evolving electric vehicles, but they also have higher expectations for new products, especially when it comes to charging and range.

An electric car owner said he hoped for technological improvements in the cars' charging system.

"Charging counts. I hope the car will be more convenient to charge," he said.

To stimulate research and development in the NEV industry, an observer from Europe said there should be more policy support to push the frontier for future vehicles.

"I think that based on all the regulations that are coming all over the world, in Asia [and] especially in Europe -- because I know Europe -- there are going to be more and more companies that will be working on innovation to move forward the EV power train. So, I am pretty sure that we are at the beginning of a new era really," he said.

Gu Huinan, general manager of GAC Aion New Energy Automobile, said they have prepared multiple ways to promote the innovative development of NEVs to meet customers' expectations.

"We are working on multiple paths to electrification, including battery replacement and fast charging. We are now driving innovation and promotion in both areas," said Gu.

Industry insiders, consumers at Beijing Auto Show highlight growing popularity of NEVs