HELSINKI, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) — The China International Import Expo (CIIE) is “a great and unique initiative with real global impact,” a Europe-based U.S. scholar told Xinhua as he shared his experience attending this year’s event and the Hongqiao International Economic Forum in Shanghai.
In a written interview, Carl Fey, professor of strategy at BI Norwegian Business School and former dean of Nottingham University Business School China, described the expo as “a great and unique initiative” and the supporting forum as “a professional meeting of senior executives” that addresses issues from trade to AI and green transition.
The 8th CIIE, held in Shanghai from Nov. 5 to 10, has attracted more than 4,000 overseas enterprises from 155 countries, regions, and international organizations. As the world’s first national-level expo dedicated to imports, it aims to promote openness, innovation, and win-win cooperation. This year’s edition focuses on global trade, green transition, and technological innovation.
“Most countries have expos to help their firms expand abroad, but it is rare to have an expo to help foreign firms enter a country,” Fey said, noting that China‘s commitment to openness and innovation stands out amid growing global trade uncertainty.
Citing the World Openness Index released during the event, Fey said that while protectionism is on the rise worldwide, China has kept the trend of being “more open” over the past year. Between 1990 and 2024, China’s openness index rose from 0.5891 to 0.7634.
He said China “is moving in the right direction and has made great progress,” praising policy predictability as one of the country’s key strengths.
Recalling the expo, Fey emphasized the diversity and vitality of exchanges amid ongoing geopolitical and trade uncertainties. “I am impressed with how truly global the CIIE is this year … Nearly 300 of the world’s top 500 firms are taking part,” he said, noting that the event is expected to facilitate over 80 billion U.S. dollars in intended deals, in line with last year’s level.
Beyond its role as a trade platform, the CIIE, Fey said, also offers foreigners a window to see a real, open, and evolving China. “Many people have a view of China that is about 15 years out of date,” he said. “China’s educated workforce, developed infrastructure, and robust supplier networks are hard to match.”
“There is no substitute for meeting a potential business partner in person to help make a deal happen. We need interaction with people from different countries to avoid misunderstandings and push forward international business,” he added.
In Fey’s view, the event not only provides opportunities for international companies to build networks, learn from peers, and expand markets, but also promotes innovation, as major corporations showcase startups in their business incubator ecosystems at the CIIE innovation incubation zone.
“Large companies like BMW and L’Oreal support smaller firms through incubators, acting as early clients and sometimes investors,” he explained.
He said China’s focus on innovation and green transition offers vast opportunities for China-Europe cooperation in sustainable development, digital transformation, and advanced manufacturing.
Take Sweden – one of the Guest Countries of Honor at this year’s CIIE – as an example, Fey said the country’s innovation capacity and active presence in China provide valuable experience for partners. He noted there is strong potential for China-Sweden collaboration in automobiles, telecommunications, and biotechnology.
Fey voiced optimism about China-Europe collaboration, especially in green innovation. “Europe and China are both leaders in this field, and collaboration in green trade makes perfect sense,” he said.
Describing his experience at the CIIE as “time well spent,” he added, “It’s a great innovative event having a big impact, and I encourage others from around the world to attend in the future.”
