A China-EU matchmaking event for medical devices held during the recent 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai resulted in over 100 cooperation intentions, a Ministry of Commerce spokesman said on Thursday.
Speaking at a regular press conference in Beijing, spokesman He Yadong outlined the success of the matchmaking activity held at the Shanghai expo, which gathered than 200 participants in the medical field from across China and the European Union.
He said this has been an important outcome and consensus of the second regular meeting of the China-EU Trade and Investment Consultation Mechanism, which was held in the Chinese capital last month.
"The Ministry of Commerce, together with the Ministry of Finance, the National Health Commission, and other departments, organized more than 160 domestic medical institutions and enterprises to participate in market-based procurement. The EU organized over 40 medical device companies to attend, reaching more than 100 cooperation intentions and bringing together EU member states such as Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Sweden," He said.
"Overall, the CIIE matchmaking event has effectively boosted China-EU medical device trade and is a vivid example of promoting a more balanced and forward-looking China-EU trade relationship. China is willing to continue working with the EU within the China-EU Trade and Investment Consultation Mechanism to explore cooperation potential and create new opportunities," said the spokesman.
The six-day CIIE concluded on Tuesday after attracting a record number of over 4,100 exhibitors. First held in 2018 as the world's first national-level expo dedicated to imports, the CIIE has since grown into a crucial platform for global businesses to showcase their products and connect with Chinese buyers.
China-EU medical device matchmaking event yields over 100 cooperation intentions at CIIE
A successful Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen will send a strong signal of trust and have a positive effect on global governance, former UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova said ahead of the event.
China will host the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen in south China from Nov 18 to 19, which will mark the country's third hosting of the event following Shanghai in 2001 and Beijing in 2014.
Bokova brought the perspective of a veteran of multilateral institutions to what has become one of the most closely watched diplomatic gatherings of the year.
"I think that there are high expectations from this meeting because we know that today there are many challenges in the world. These geopolitical shifts sometimes need to build more trust. And this is one of the most dynamic regions in the world in terms of economic growth, in terms of trade opportunities and I would say widely impacting all the other developments and all the other risks even and opportunities that we have in the world. I think a successful APEC meeting here, will have a very positive effect on all the debate about global governance and I think that global governance today is the big topic," she said.
Commenting on this year's APEC agenda, Bokova emphasized the transformative role of innovation.
"It's the, I would say, the elephant in the room, it's the most important, one of the most important topics nowadays, because we know that artificial intelligence is all around us. It shapes our societies, our education systems, our jobs. Innovation of course is very much needed. Artificial intelligence for good, and I hope that this will be the topic also for this debate. Now the question is not whether we need artificial intelligence or not, we need it and we think that it may solve many of the humanity's problems, but the question here is whether we know how to manage using this in an ethical, inclusive and sustainable manner. This is the big topic in my mind," she said.
Successful APEC meeting to positively impact global governance: former UNESCO chief
