Companies from China's Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan expanded their presence at the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) as they seek to tap the mainland market and connect with global business opportunities.
Nearly 400 Hong Kong companies and about 80 Macao firms took part in this year's expo, the highest numbers on record, while more than 30 companies from Taiwan participated with a combined exhibition area up about 10 percent from a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce.
Hong Kong's exhibition area covered nearly 36,000 square meters. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the city's official trade promotion body, took part in the CIIE for a ninth consecutive year and set up a "Go Global" service zone for the first time, aiming to deepen trade ties through the platform. Several tech enterprises showcased their latest research and development achievements on-site.
"We've brought an industrial embodied intelligence data-collection glove. It has sensors inside that can capture human movements, which can be turned through training into robot skills, so robots can perform some tasks that current automation cannot accomplish," said Hong Kong exhibitor Zhao Boya.
"We brought a new-generation orthopedic surgical robot that was fully developed and manufactured in-house. The CIIE is a very good platform and window for us to showcase our products to doctors and hospitals on the mainland," said another Hong Kong exhibitor Liu Youyu.
Macao's exhibition space took up about 3,400 square meters, up 52.6 percent year on year. Macao set up a commercial exchange pavilion for the first time, displaying specialty products including food and beverages as well as traditional Chinese medicine.
"We added six new products this year, so our product range is becoming more complete and covering more consumer groups. The atmosphere at the CIIE is really good, and we plan to continue participating next year," said Macao exhibitor Li Fenqiu.
Taiwan participants exhibited food and chemical products for daily use and consumer goods, as well as healthcare, precision manufacturing and modern service products. Participants included both nine-time exhibitors and first-timers.
"Our brand was founded in Taiwan in 1981 and is the first baking company listed on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. We can strongly feel the CIIE's influence, its international influence, so we have made full preparations to take part," said Vivian Wang, head of marketing at Ganso, a bakery and pastry brand founded in Taiwan.
Running from Nov 5 to 10, this year's CIIE has attracted 4,142 overseas exhibitors, including more than 300 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders. Over 480 exhibits made their global, Asian or China debuts at the event, the highest number in its history.
Launched in 2018 as the world's first national-level expo dedicated to imports, the CIIE has become an important gateway for international businesses seeking access to China's vast consumer and industrial markets.
Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan firms expand presence at import expo
