Nikon's Executive Vice President Masato Hamatani emphasized the importance of China to its company, saying that is not just a valued client, but an important partner at the ongoing China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai.
The Japanese optics and photographic equipment manufacturer showcased its latest achievements across nine sectors at the 7th CIIE, including precision instruments, industrial solutions, glass materials, healthcare, and imaging products.
Hamatani highly valued the opportunities brought up by the expo.
"This year marks our fourth participation in the expo. From our first involvement, I felt the strong reactions created by the CIIE. Many divisions, including semiconductor lithography, life sciences, and imaging, received numerous inquiries from Chinese customers. We highly value this platform and hope to enhance our connections with clients," said Hamatani.
At the expo this year, Nikon unveiled its latest product -- a digital lithography machine, which was launched at the end of October, to meet the rising demand for semiconductors amid the widespread of artificial intelligence technologies and the development of data centers.
As Nikon's main products, including cameras, microscopes, and semiconductor devices, gradually enter into the Chinese market, about 20 percent of its sale are generated from China, making the country one of Nikon's most important markets, according to Hamatani, adding that China is not just a client, but also a crucial manufacturing partner.
"We do not just import from China. We set up a factory in Jiangsu Province to produce microscopes and related accessories, which are exported to other parts of the world. By doing so, we want to deepen the relations with the Chinese market," said Hamatani.
The CIIE is the world's first national-level exposition dedicated to imports. The six-day expo has attracted participants from 152 countries, regions and international organizations to participate in its country exhibition and business exhibition.
Nikon views China as both valued client and crucial partner
The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) helps to set a solid foundation for developing countries without complete infrastructure networks to pursue development independently, said Guinean Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah in an interview on Wednesday.
Bah visited China and attended the World Economic Forum (WEF)'s 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, which concluded on Thursday in the northeastern city of Dalian.
Speaking to the China Global Television Network (CGTN) on the sideline of the meeting, Bah said "The BRI helps Guinea pursue great development. My visit to China aims to further deepen bilateral ties and to fully seize new development opportunities so that Guinea will achieve greater progress and connect more closely with the rest of the world, especially in terms of the construction of logistics and transport corridors, which will help Guinea and some regions in Africa to pursue true economic transformation."
Bah said at a sub-forum of the event held on Tuesday that he was looking forward to closer cooperation with China to help Guinea and other countries in Africa to pursue greater development.
He further explained the point in Wednesday's interview that he believes by working with China within the framework of BRI, some developing countries will pursue independent development by building a complete infrastructure network.
"We are all sovereign states. The BRI offers a solution to a key issue that the international community has been debating extensively over the past two decades -- how to eradicate poverty in some countries, African countries in particular. The solution offered by the BRI is practical and viable, because it meets the real needs of the developing countries. It helps countries without a complete infrastructure network to build logistics hubs, highways, ports and other facilities, thus laying a solid foundation for them to pursue independent development. These infrastructure networks constitute an essential prerequisite for development and only with these facilities can a country fully unleash the potential of its mineral and agricultural resources as well as its capacity to trade with all countries across the world," said Bah.
The prime minister also stressed the urgent need for African countries to foster their internal growth drivers in pursuing greater economic development.
"It has become an urgent task for African countries to achieve deep processing of resources domestically, because we need to foster internal growth drivers, pursue greater development and achieve more equitable distribution of wealth," said Bah.
BRI helps countries without complete infrastructure networks pursue independent development: Guinean PM
