How a foreign executive spent time at CIIE in Shanghai

If there is one common word to describe senior business executives' daily experience during the seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, it would probably be "busy".

Sylvie Galliaerde, vice-president of external relations at General Mills, is one of them. However, despite always being on the run, Galliaerde said she felt even more welcomed this year and her CIIE trip was nice and smooth.

Arriving at the Pudong International Airport on Nov 5, Galliaerde was welcomed by the visa-free entry policy and quickly walked out the arrival gate with brisk steps. Implemented in last December and valid until the end of 2025, the policy allows visa-free entry for business, tourism and family visits for up to 15 day, targeting visitors from 11 European countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Austria.

"It was clearly much more convenient for me to not have to apply for a visa this year. Mine has expired, and to renew it means that I have to make the application, book an appointment at the embassy and then be there (for the application process). By the way, I usually don't have that much time as I am traveling a lot. So the policy has made it very convenient and time-saving for me to travel without a visa. I feel even more welcomed," said Galliaerde on her arrival.

Following the smooth arrival, Galliaerde paid a visit to the Haagen-Dazs shop on the city's Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, where she found the payment has become smoothly accessible for international travelers, too.

Haagen-Dazs is a brand known for ice cream products under General Mills. Its first shop, which opened on Shanghai's East Nanjing Road in 1996, marked the beginning of General Mills' business expansion in China.

"The Nanjing Road is a very iconic and important location for us, as we opened our first Haagen-Dazs shop (in China) here about 30 years ago. The Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street is like the Champs-Elysees for French. And this new shop, open since this January, is also one of the largest Haagen-Dazs shops worldwide," said Galliaerde.

Galliaerde ordered new ice cream products at the shop and successfully finished her payment with her international credit card, which was a new experience for her. She explained when she previously came to China, making payments was challenging and it was difficult for her to hang around free without her team. But now, Shanghai has made payments more accessible for foreign travelers.

In addition to Haagen-Dazs, dinner kits brand Wanchai Ferry and pet food brand Blue Buffalo are the other two key brands of General Mills that attended the CIIE. After three decades' development in China, General Mills has established four manufacturing bases, three central kitchens, one R&D center and hundreds of Haagen-Dazs shops across the nation.

"China is one of the most important markets and a prioritized market for General Mills. We have been here for many years and will remain here in the future for sure. We are extremely consumer-centric and have learned a lot from Chinese consumers. We will continue to grow, innovate and answer the consumer need in China," said Galliaerde.

She said that Chinese consumers are at the forefront of digitalization and among the most digital-savvy in the world, with a strong demand for convenience and for high-quality and healthy products as well. The consumer-centric innovation has allowed the company to deliver high-quality products and digitalized experiences tailored to meet the diverse and fast-evolving market demands and consumer scenarios of the Chinese market.

As a second-time participator of the CIIE, Galliaerde's schedule was packed again during the expo, including visits, forums, opening ceremonies, interviews and more.

"The CIIE is really a great place to be and I like it a lot. Each year it seems to be much better and improved, with more diversity of companies, booths, brands, countries and cultures represented — it is very impressive. It offers a tremendous opportunity for us to demonstrate who we are, what we do, our premium positioning. And it offers us a lot of connection with external stakeholders, such as media, government officials, experts, suppliers, business partners from China and from across the globe,"she said.

On her tight schedule was the opening ceremony of the French National Pavilion. France was invited as the guest country of honor to this year's CIIE, as this year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France, which Galliaerde sees as a critical and positive driver of the company's further business expansion.

"The relationship between France and China are extremely important for General Mills, because we produce Haagen-Dazs in France and we export it from France to 92 countries including China … The trade relationship between the two nations has always been very strong and long-standing. We both have a long history, share a lot in common in terms of values, and the same aspiration for growth and quality," she said.

Galliaerde pointed out that the CIIE is organized with a lot of openness and diverse activities to promote international relationships and exchanges across market, governments and businesses. Instead of a declaration, the expo is a real and solid platform on the ground, with innovation, companies and people representing the "fair spirit of trade".

"For me, the CIIE is really the place to be and one of the most important events that I need to attend every year. It is really real and done in a nice, smooth, positive and proactive way," she said.