Photo: China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian

When asked to comment on the recently concluded 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE), which served as a major platform for new product debuts and was noted by foreign exhibitors as not only a bridge for economic and trade exchanges but also a reflection of China's vision for sharing opportunities and pursuing common development, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Tuesday that China is pleased to see that, over the eight consecutive years the CIIE has been held, openness, cooperation and mutual benefit have increasingly become the shared "CIIE impression" for all participants.

Lin said that this year's CIIE attracted participants from 155 countries, regions and international organizations, as well as 290 Fortune Global 500 companies and leading industry players. More than 600 additional companies joined compared to last year, pushing both the exhibition area and the total number of exhibitors to new highs. He noted that 170 overseas companies and 27 institutions have participated for consecutive years, becoming the expo's "regulars."

Global companies introduced 461 new products, technologies and services, more than 200 of which made their global debut, with the value of intended deals exceeding $83.4 billion. China's vast market is becoming a testing ground, profit center and application hub for global #opening-up, cooperation and technological innovation, Lin said.

Lin said the CIIE serves as a bridge linking China's economy with the global economy, and the "CIIE speed" and "CIIE innovation" are creating "CIIE opportunities" that enable more countries to board the "CIIE express." As Premier Li Qiang stressed in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony, the CIIE's continued success lies in the principle of pursuing shared benefits with the world. From ancient times to today, the Chinese people have understood that "one can go fast alone, but can go far together," and openness and inclusiveness have always been defining features of Chinese civilization.

In the face of rising instability and uncertainty in the global economic and trade landscape, China openly embraces free trade, remains committed to mutually beneficial cooperation, and is dedicated to advancing global development through the opportunities generated by China's own growth.

Lin noted that the recently concluded Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee called for expanding high-standard opening-up and creating new prospects for win-win cooperation. The latest data show that China has remained the world's largest trader in goods for eight consecutive years, and its trade has grown for nine straight months this year, underscoring the strong resilience of the Chinese economy and China's confidence and determination in advancing opening-up and cooperation.

He said that China is a co-creator of global opportunities, a co-builder of open platforms, and a sharer of development outcomes. China will continue to promote win-win results through openness and cooperation and write more remarkable stories of "sharing benefits with the world."

Global Times