International guests applaud China’s global leadership at opening ceremony of 6th CIIE

By Junye Zhang and Wang Ruoxin

SHANGHAI - The opening ceremony of the sixth China International Import Expo and the Hongqiao International Economic Forum was held in east China's Shanghai, Nov. 5, 2023.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony, where he vowed efforts to further expand opening up and share China's development opportunities with the rest of the world.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a letter to the expo, reiterating China's firm determination to advance high-standard opening up and facilitate the building of an open world economy.

In addition, world leaders from different countries addressed the opening ceremony, including Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile, and Rebeca Grynspan, secretary-general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

The world leaders stressed the importance of CIIE in providing openness to companies around the world to showcase their products and services, further strengthening China's relations with participating countries, and showcasing China's leadership role in facilitating global cooperation.

During exclusive interviews with Guangming Daily before the opening ceremony, the Portuguese Ambassador to China, Paulo Jorge Nascimento, expressed optimism about CIIE's potential in fostering strong relations between China and participating countries, particularly China and Portugal. He stated, "I believe that the CIIE is a very important initiative for promoting relations between China and the participating countries, especially between China and Portugal." He highlighted CIIE's historical role in introducing Portuguese companies to the Chinese market, leading to increased exports from Portugal to China.

Harvey Dzodin, Senior Fellow of the Center for China & Globalization, marveled at CIIE's growth since his first visit. He emphasized the immense interest among international companies in accessing China's vast market. "It's my second time at CIIE, and I can see that it's developed amazingly since I came for the first one," Dzodin remarked. He commended the Chinese government's openness, allowing numerous businesses to participate. He expressed his awe at the event's scale, with approximately 150,000 visitors daily, describing it as "mind-boggling." Dzodin appreciated the event's significance, stating, "It's amazing and it's China-sized, China-speed. I'm very delighted to be here and witness this event and this milestone for China."