Construction and exhibition setup across all eight halls of the main venue of the 6th China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) are in the final sprint in Haikou, capital city of south China's Hainan Province.
The expo will be held from April 13 to 18.
At the exhibition halls, staff are busy arranging exhibits and testing interactive installations. All setup work is set to be completed by Sunday, ready to welcome global exhibitors and buyers.
"My expectation is to meet somebody that would like to understand what we propose. I think [it] could mean more opportunities to come in China, especially in Hainan because the government want to import product and facilitate us to come here without any tax," said an exhibitor from Italy.
"This time, we are bringing eight brands to make their debut at the expo. We will also sign agreements with pet brands to enrich the category of duty-free pet products available for travelers," said Hou Xiaofei, marketing director of Haikou GDF Plaza.
The main venue features eight exhibition halls. Hall 4 is dedicated to global specialty consumer goods. It showcases premium products from 22 countries and regions including Canada, Switzerland, and Italy.
"With the 'fast-track' green channel, Chinese consumers can quickly access authentic Italian products," said Chen Meiqi, vice chair of Salotto Italia-Cina (Italy-China Lounge).
This year's expo will see national pavilion debuts from multiple countries such as Russia and Bulgaria.
The expo continues to embrace a green and low-carbon approach, promoting sustainable practices in construction and event operations.
"These structures are made of recyclable materials. After use, they can be recycled and reused," said Sun Zhili, on-site operations manager of the expo.
The total exhibition area reaches 143,000 square meters, an increase of 13,000 square meters compared with the previous edition.
More than 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions are expected to participate, with international brands accounting for 65 percent of the total.
Preparations for main venue of consumer products expo in final sprint
Preparations for main venue of consumer products expo in final sprint
As the diplomatic engagement between the United States and Iran continues despite a faltering ceasefire, a former commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said that Iran is prepared to use military power to break the U.S. maritime blockade should the negotiations collapse or run on too long.
Mohsen Rezaee, who also currently serves as a member of the Iranian Expediency Discernment Council, struck a confident tone about Iran's current trajectory in an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) in Tehran on Wednesday.
He said the country has withstood over two decades of crippling sanctions and continued to move forward.
"We have been under sanctions for more than 20 years. The number of sanctions likely exceeds 2,000, targeting individuals, enterprises, corporations, ships, insurance companies, and even foreign countries that interacted with us. However, we have managed to find solutions to neutralize these sanctions, and we will continue to do so moving forward," he said.
He said Iran aims to ease the sanctions burden through talks with the U.S., although at the same time, he said, Iran is ready to shift to a military response if the path to a peaceful resolution closes.
"Furthermore, we will compel the U.S. to lift these sanctions. We will force the U.S. to end the maritime blockade -- either through negotiations or, should they resist, through direct action and we will attack U.S. warships. Therefore, despite all the pressures, the future of our economy is bright and promising, while the future of the US economy is bleak," he said.
While any new war against Iran would be a dead end, the best way out for the U.S. is to continue talks, according to the senior official.
"We have prepared ourselves so that if the maritime blockade continues beyond a certain timeframe, we will launch an attack and break the blockade. The Americans have no choice but to negotiate. Continuing this war is a journey into a very dark tunnel for the United States. The more America chooses to fight, the deeper it enters a tunnel with no end. Yet for us, the path is perfectly clear. America is moving toward us in the dark, while we are monitoring their every move," he said.
Former IRGC chief says Iran ready to break U.S. naval blockade by force if talks fail
