Foreign firms see CIIE as increasingly vital platform

The annual China International Import Expo is becoming a magnet for exhibitors to debut their new products and technologies, and it is a reflection of the Chinese market's growing significance to the global economy as the "dual-circulation" economic development pattern takes shape, said multinational executives.

With its gigantic market potential, China has attracted 39 new products and technologies to launch during the event, with 24 of them claiming a global debut and 12 making their first appearance in Asia, according to organizers of the event.

During his keynote speech delivered via video at the opening ceremony of the third CIIE on Wednesday, President Xi Jinping said China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) will aim to foster a new development paradigm with the domestic market as the mainstay and the domestic and international markets reinforcing each other.

"The dual-circulation new development mode President Xi noted in his speech is not only based on the needs of China's development, but also the well-being of people across the world. The vast domestic demand of the Chinese market is inspiring us to continuously innovate," said Pascal Bizard, senior vice-president of Decathlon China.

After 30 months of research and development, the French company, the world's largest comprehensive sporting goods firm, held the global debut at the CIIE of its kayak that folds to the size of a luggage backpack when uninflated.

"We are extremely optimistic about the Chinese market's great demand and huge potential. This is why we decided to launch new products at the CIIE," said Tony Acciarito, president of Thermo Fisher Scientific (China).

Thermo Fisher Scientific globally launched its automated nucleic acid purification system at the CIIE.

This is the third year in a row for Thermo Fisher Scientific to take part in the CIIE. The annual event has been providing enterprises with a perfect platform to showcase cutting-edge technologies and make product debuts, and it is an important channel for meeting clients, said Acciarito.

Industrial players' confidence in China is based on its 1.4 billion population, a middle-income group that exceeds 400 million, and the estimated $22 trillion in imports that will come into the country in the next decade.

"China became the sole nation that reported positive economic growth in the third quarter worldwide, and China's decision to further advance opening-up has made us extremely confident that it will become our company's most important market in the future," said Li Zhiming, general manager of ANCS China.

Air Natural Capacity Solution GmbH, from Germany, debuted its new medical personal protection systems, in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. In order to relieve the pressure and risk to healthcare systems and healthcare workers, the system is designed to meet the needs of front-line healthcare workers for safe, convenient and comfortable work, and protect them from harmful particles, viruses and bacteria in the air.

Fancl from Japan is one of the companies tapping into Chinese people's upgraded consumption requirements for nutrition and launched its brand-new nutrition pack series during the CIIE.

Milk New Zealand Dairy, which has benefited from successful product launches at the two previous CIIEs, decided to debut its instant fresh milk powder globally at this year's CIIE.

"The CIIE has become the golden key for the dual-circulation economic development pattern, and in order to become part of the enormous Chinese market, we are continuously taking the CIIE as the platform for introducing our high-quality brand and products to China," said Sheng Wenhao, CEO of Milk New Zealand Dairy Asia-Pacific.

Echoing President Xi's statement in his speech to the CIIE that China is hosting this global trade event to demonstrate its sincere desire to share its market opportunities with the world and contribute to the global economic recovery, Gu Chunyuan, chairman of ABB China, said: "The CIIE is the stage for expanding international collaboration and promoting technological innovation. ABB regards the CIIE as a precious opportunity for showcasing and for sharing."

ABB debuted its unmanned aerial vehicle-based gas leak detection solution at the CIIE.

"Our successful participation at the previous two CIIEs has encouraged ABB to bring more than 50 innovative products and research and development achievements from 14 countries to this year's CIIE. ABB continues to be optimistic about the valuable platform the CIIE offers, and we have already confirmed our participation next year," said Gu.

Ophthalmic optics company Essilor made the global public debut of its new generation of eyeglass lens solutions at the CIIE, as part of the effort to cope with the increase in myopia globally. In China, 54 percent of children ages 6 to 18 suffer from myopia.

"We want to leverage the huge influence of the CIIE to draw more attention toward myopia among the young generation, and we hope the introduction of the innovative solution can help change millions of children's lives," said Arnaud Dumas, president of Essilor China and its global instruments division.

A one-stop solution for Belt and Road travel safety risk management was launched by French company Europ Assistance. Europ Assistance will provide optimized health management and medical assistance resources for customers traveling to countries and regions related to the Belt and Road Initiative, and the CIIE is the perfect platform to launch these, said Daniel Cheung, CEO of Europ Assistance China.