By Tian Hong, People's Daily
Digital technologies are employed to make the 5th China International Import Expo (CIIE) more intelligent and bring better experiences to participants.
So far, preparations of the grand trade fair, which is scheduled to kick off on Nov. 5 and conclude on Nov. 10, have generally been completed.
New exhibiting zones will open this year featuring the crop seed industry and the artificial intelligence industry. Besides, the event has optimized the special area for low carbon and environmental protection technology, and expanded the innovation and incubation area.
More than 150 startups specialized in technological equipment, consumer products, healthcare and automobiles will display their products and services at the innovation and incubation area.
Representatives from a total of 145 countries, regions and international organizations will participate in the 5th CIIE. Enterprises from 127 countries and regions are expected to join the business exhibition, and 66 countries and three international organizations will take stage in the country exhibition. All these figures outnumber those in the last year.
Nicaragua, Djibouti, Mauritania, Comoros, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, and Iceland will take part in the country exhibition for the first time this year.
This year, the country exhibition will still be held online, showcasing participating countries' technological innovation, culture and art, as well as investment environment with augmented reality, real-time rendering and other frontier technologies. It will give visitors an immersive experience.
Besides, more than 300 exhibitors specialized in intelligent industry and information technology will display and launch their products and services at the Digital CIIE platform this time.
On Oct. 28, a batch of art pieces to be exhibited at the 5th CIIE from the UK, France, Norway and Japan arrived in the Shanghai Waigaoqiao bonded area. Shanghai Customs for the first time employed information sampling devices to collect data of the features of the art pieces for exit-entry consistency verification.
Since exhibits of the 5th CIIE started entering China in mid-September, Shanghai Customs has set up 110 exclusive and around-the-clock customs clearance windows and channels to improve efficiency. Relevant exit and entry information is acquired on a big data platform of the customs to ensure faster customs procedures for visiting guests and exhibits.
Shanghai Customs has also combined inspections at the port of entry and exhibition hall so as to avoid secondary package opening.
So far, 194 batches of CIIE exhibits have completed customs clearance, with a total value of $142 million.
Shanghai has built the Hongqiao Central Business District Bonded Logistics Center and the Greenland Global Commodity Trade Hub Bonded Exhibition and Sales Place to expand the spillover effect of the CIIE and make bonded exhibition and sales regular.
The China-Europe freight train "Shanghai" launched by the Shanghai-based Orient International (Holding) Co., Ltd. before the 4th CIIE has reached some 20 cities in six countries over the past year.
This year, the company has set up a Shanghai International Sister Cities Hub at the Hongqiao Import Commodity Exhibition and Trade Center, which has so far attracted over 100 exhibitors from 30 countries.
"This year marks the fifth year and also a new start of the CIIE," said Gu Jun, executive deputy director of the office of the leading group for urban service and security of the CIIE, adding that Shanghai is going all out to make the 5th CIIE successful, splendid and fruitful.
