Chinese brands shine at Hainan expo with creative consumer products

Innovative Chinese brands showcased their capability to appeal to consumers at home and overseas at the just-concluded fifth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in south China's Hainan Province.

The six-day event, which opened in Haikou on Sunday, has attracted exhibitors from more than 70 countries and regions. As China's only national-level exhibition focused on consumer goods, this year's edition emphasizes innovation and global collaboration, drawing the participation of over 4,100 brands from over 70 countries and regions.

Established players like Bloomage Biotechnology see technology as their edge, and the brand's chairwoman and CEO Zhao Yan emphasizes its strategy of building technology at home to stay competitive in the global market.

"To truly build brands that resonate today, both at home and abroad, we must ask what's our advantage against global giants. I believe it's technology. Forge strong Chinese brands, earn the trust of our own consumers first, that's the bedrock for winning global respect," said Zhao Yan, chairman and CEO of Bloomage Biotechnology.

Startups and niche creators are also riding the wave, forging cultural connections and innovation to produce smash-hit products. Among them, the translation glasses from RayNeo have drawn crowds at the expo.

"It's very good because I've been here for a few months and language barrier is one of the biggest problem we found in China. And it really helps a lot, really good, and I will definitely purchase it," said a visitor.

"We have already done a great job in the overseas market. This one is available in U.S., Europe, and Japan, and we are also trying to see if we can get into more markets this year," Li Xiaojie, marketing manager of RayNeo.

At the same time, numerous products also shined in a special area dedicated to showcasing traditional Chinese brands that blend tradition with modernity, demonstrating how the classics can reinvent themselves to adapt to today's market.

"China's evolution, the Chinese brands, Guochao brands, their manufacturing is really honed to perfection. There is a high level of precision, high degree of manufacturing, not only are we importing brands into China, we are also exporting the Guochao Chinese brands overseas," said Nancy Liu, president of DFS China under the DFS Group, the world's leading luxury travel retailer.

Chinese brands shine at Hainan expo with creative consumer products

China unveiled a large wind-assisted propulsion system for ships in the coastal city of Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, on Friday, marking a major leap forward for the country in the field of high-end vessel marine environmental protection equipment.

The wind-assisted propulsion system - rotating sail system (WAPS-RSS), is developed by Luoyang Ship Material Research Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC).

The system's rotor has diameter of 5 meters, is 35 meters high, and weighs 150 tons.

Experts say that the system can efficiently capture wind energy while the ship is sailing, providing additional thrust for the vessel.

On average, it can save fuel consumption by 5 to 25 percent for large ocean-going vessels, and lower carbon emissions accordingly.

It relies on the Magnus effect, which is much like a loop in table tennis, featuring a rapidly spinning sphere that causes the surrounding air to rotate. Pressure decreases on the side with faster airflow and increases on the side with slower airflow, creating a lateral pressure difference that generates lateral thrust.

"Standing on the deck, the powerful thrust generated by its rotation assists the ship's sailing. Our system - the world's largest rotary sail - reaches a maximum rotational speed of 180 revolutions per minute and can generate a maximum of 355 kilonewtons of thrust. Additionally, the system's intelligent control integrates multiple sensors to detect real-time wind and ship conditions. Through smart algorithms, it automatically adjusts to maintain optimal performance at all times, maximizing the utilization of wind energy," said Guo Yu, vice president of SunRui Marine Environment Engineering Company Limited under Luoyang Ship Material Research Institute.

Not only does the system's performance meet international advanced standards, but the project team has also overcome a series of engineering challenges, including the fabrication of giant composite structures, complex system integration, and intelligent coordinated control.

Compared with mainstream international technological approaches, it offers greater production efficiency and cost advantages.

Currently, the system has secured its first batch of orders and will complete actual vessel applications as scheduled.

China unveils large wind-assisted propulsion system for ships