Preparations of the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) are in full swing as most booths are being installed and exhibits are arriving via customs' fast clearance channel.
According to organizers, this year's expo, set to be held at the Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center in south China from April 13 to 18, covers 143,000 square meters of exhibition space, an increase of 13,000 square meters from the previous edition. More than 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions across the world have been registered to participate in the exhibition, with international exhibits accounting for 65 percent of the total.
The booth materials and exhibits from both China and overseas are mainly arriving via Xinhai Harbour, with local customs authorities providing dedicated clearance channel and 24/7 appointment-based clearance service at key ports including Haikou Meilan International Airport and Yangpu Port.
Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth expo marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) fully launched island-wide special customs operations in December last year.
Preparations of China's 6th consumer products expo in full swing
Preparations of China's 6th consumer products expo in full swing
Preparations of China's 6th consumer products expo in full swing
As the 18th BRICS Summit is underway in New Delhi this weekend, international journalists covering the event have stressed China's indispensable role in strengthening the grouping and amplifying the voice of the Global South.
The summit, held in India's capital from Saturday to Sunday under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," has gathered leaders from 11 full member states, 10 partner countries, and invited guests.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the BRICS cooperation mechanism, which has grown into the most influential platform for cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries.
"[When] President Xi, he said that we have to be together whether it's rain or a wind, I mean that has a sense of respect even though we are a small country compared to China. We would love to see China play a bigger role," said Firdaus Azil, a journalist from Malaysia.
International journalists covering the summit in India noted that China's consistent commitment to inclusiveness and equitable cooperation within BRICS has left a deep impression on observers from developing nations.
"I see it [BRICS] as a formidable force that is driving development. For me, I believe that China plays a huge role in BRICS," said Sarafina Christopher, a journalist with the News Agency of Nigeria.
The recurring descriptors - "huge," "bigger," and "important" - used by international journalists to characterize China's role in BRICS reflect what China has been tangibly delivered through two decades of sustained engagement with the grouping.
China has consistently championed a more equitable global governance system that gives the Global South a stronger voice.
From the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness, cooperation and win-win progress in 2014, to BRICS+ in 2017, to the greater BRICS cooperation in 2024, and in 2025 when the Chinese president made three proposals to foster synergy for common development, each step has refined the approach to make it work.
With China set to assume the BRICS rotating presidency in 2027, all eyes will be on how the country builds on this momentum to further strengthen the grouping and advance the shared aspirations of the Global South.
International journalists highlight China's pivotal role in BRICS cooperation
