China expects Pak participation in CIIE in big way

BEIJING: China expects Pakistan’s participation in the forthcoming China International Import Expo (CIIE) in a big way.

It will be a great opportunity for the Pakistani traders to explore the Chinese market and enhance their export to China, said an official of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation.

Pakistan will get all possible facilities at the Expo. Pakistan has been invited as a guest of honor country in the first-ever high-profile trade exhibition, he added. Chinese Envoy in Islamabad Yao Jing had stated earlier in Islamabad that the CIIE could help to overcome trade imbalance between the two countries.

Meanwhile, more than 160,000 purchasers from over 80,000 domestic and foreign companies have so far registered for the Expo, its organizer said. According to the China International Import Expo Bureau, it had planned to organize a total of 150,000 purchasers, but the registration exceeded expectations.

The bureau also said over 40 companies from countries including the United States, France, Germany, and Japan have already signed up for the second CIIE in advance to secure exhibition booths.

Shanghai is scheduled to host the first CIIE from Nov. 5 to 10. Over 130 countries and regions and more than 2,800 companies have confirmed participation in the CIIE. According to Zhong Xiaomin, a senior official of the China International Import Expo Bureau, it is a significant move for the Chinese government to hold the CIIE to give firm support to trade liberalization and economic globalization and actively open the Chinese market to the world.

It facilitates countries and regions all over the world to strengthen economic cooperation and trade, and promotes global trade and world economic growth in order to make the world economy more open. We have also made supporting policies for developing and less developed countries.

The CIIE will facilitate participation in terms of customs clearance, inspection and quarantine, provide long-term one-stop transaction services online and offline, and strengthen protection of intellectual property rights, she added.