Op-ed: Deliver outcomes of opening up to the world
By Zhong Sheng
The first China International Import Expo (CIIE), which takes place in the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up, showcases China’s sincerity to further open up its market and promote global trade and cooperation. It is bound to bring more development opportunities to the world and inject strong impetus into building an open global economy.
The event will be held from Nov. 5 to 10 in Shanghai, and Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony and relevant activities.
The CIIE, as the first import-themed national exhibition in the world, is a major policy announcement and practice of China to actively opening up its market.
CIIE-related news received instant and high attention, as well as warm response from the world. Political and business leaders from about 150 countries and regions and heads of international organizations have confirmed to attend the six-day event.
So far, 82 countries and three international organizations have set up 71 booths in the country pavilion of the CIIE, and about 3,000 companies from more than 130 countries have signed up for the business exhibition. In addition, about 2,000 guests from more than 130 countries and regions will attend the Hongqiao International Trade Forum held during the CIIE.
The global enthusiasm for the first CIIE has reflected the influence of the Chinese market, the attraction of the Chinese opportunities, as well as the appeal of the Chinese solutions.
China is a market with more than 1.3 billion people, and its choice to open wider to the world is unquestionably exciting news for the world. Against the backdrop of trade protectionism and mounting anti-globalization sentiment, China has showed its firm resolution to build an open world economy and embark on a road of opening up with other countries for mutual benefits and win-win results.
The first CIIE is viewed by the world as China’s innovative move to resolutely expand opening up.
China has become one of the largest markets in the world. Its import value accounts for 10 percent of the world’s total and the country has remained the 2nd largest importer of commodities in the world for 9 years in a row.
It is expected that China will import goods worth $24 trillion in the next 15 years. By hosting the CIIE, the country is endeavoring to make the outcomes of its opening-up efforts deliver benefits as soon as possible to all enterprises and people in China and around the world.
Currently, the global economy is faced with uncertainties and trade protectionism has created negative impacts on developing countries. How to deeply participate in the international division of labor, build an export-driven economy and accelerate the process of industrialization and urbanization are new tasks for relevant countries.
Among the enterprises that have registered for the first CIIE, 34 percent are from developed countries, 34 percent from Belt and Road countries and 10 percent from least-developed countries. Such proportion fully demonstrates the universality of the CIIE as a global public product.
Contrary to trade protectionism, the China-proposed construction of an open economy is the right direction where the global economy should develop, said an American scholar.
As a responsible country, China sincerely hopes to push countries to trade with each other, open up their markets, accelerate further development of economic globalization, and construct an open economy, so as to let countries and people in the world gain win-win outcomes through opening up.
