CIIE hailed internationally for opening new opportunities

International participants of the just concluded 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE) and business community leaders have lauded the event for opening more opportunities for the world and fostering win-win cooperation.

With a theme of "New Era, Shared Future", the six-day expo which closed on Sunday, attracted about 3,500 global exhibitors from 129 countries and regions.

It featured the debut of 450 new products, technologies, and service items, and saw a total of 80.01 billion U.S. dollars' worth of tentative deals reached for one-year purchases of goods and services.

"We've attended four, and the growth of the show is evident. Regardless of industry or segment you maybe in, knowing that you will get a fair opportunity to display what you are proud of. Increase, positivity and modernization - I think are three strong words to describe it," said a Canadian participant of the event.

Many say the expo has provided countries with a platform to share the market and engage in meaningful exchanges, allowing participants to brainstorm ideas for global development. Participants also expressed their hope for continued collaboration with China to create a mutually beneficial future.

"I think what you've seen with the CIIE expo this week is China's dedication to a truly open global economy.I think you're going to see expedited growth in innovative areas like high quality development and high quality productive forces and high level opening up. And also I think that people around the world know that if they want to accelerate their products, they have to work with China," said Jack Perry, chairman of the 48 Group Club and CEO of the London Export Corporation.

"Every year I go to China, people's lives are better than the year before. That means there's more consumption, more economic activity there. The import expo is a crucial platform for Argentinian businessmen who want to go global and compete globally," said Antonio Blanco, director of the China Chapter of the Argentina Asia-Pacific Chamber of Commerce.

"It's not just a window, I think they've opened a door actually for the world to come and experience with the offerings in China, like the clean economy that China talks about. And it actually opens our eyes in terms of what can we do better to improve the livelihoods of our people in South Africa as well," said Unati Daniels, Municipal Manager of the Sarah Baartman District Municipality in South Africa's Eastern Cape, and person in charge for the country's participation in the CIIE.

CIIE hailed internationally for opening new opportunities

CIIE hailed internationally for opening new opportunities

The China-Laos Railway has facilitated travel and the movement of goods along its route over the past three years.

The 1,035-kilometer railway, a flagship project within the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, connects China's southwestern city of Kunming with the Laotian capital of Vientiane.

Starting operation on Dec 3, 2021, it links the new western land-sea corridor and the China-Europe international railway network, extending its cross-border cargo transportation services to 19 countries and regions, including Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Over the past three years, the railway has transported more than 43 million passengers and 48 million tons of cargo, marking a surge of both passenger and cargo transport.

Feng Zhuoliang, a banana trader from Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, has benefited from the railway. His company buys approximately 1,000 tons of bananas each month from Mohan, a border town in Yunnan Province.

"I arrived yesterday afternoon. Since then, I've ordered two trucks of goods. My plan today is to purchase around three trucks more," said Feng.

Compared with the road transport, the China-Laos Railway can reduce transportation by three to four days, and lower losses caused from the handling of goods during border transits, Feng said.

The China-Laos Railway has also cut freight costs by 30 percent to 50 percent for shipment between Kunming and Thailand, and by 20 percent to 40 percent for transport within Laos.

In the last three years, the railway served 31 provinces, regions, and municipalities in China and 19 other countries and regions, including Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore.

In terms of the passenger transport, the daily trains on the China-Laos Railway's domestic section have risen from eight to a peak of 86, and on the international section from four to 16. Monthly passenger numbers have grown from over 600,000 to more than 1.6 million.

"The railway has significantly facilitated the travel for people along the route. We have added extra trains during weekends and holidays," said Dai Rui, a conductor of the Kunming Passenger Transport Section of China Railway Kunming Group.

China-Laos Railway enhances cross-border trade, travel