Huge import expo's logo, mascot unveiled

Thousands of companies, several leaders of international organizations as well as heads of state have confirmed they will attend the China International Import Expo, and preparations are underway, officials said on Friday, 100 days ahead of the expo's opening in Shanghai.

"The expo has attracted more than 2,800 companies as exhibitors, all of which are from outside China," Wang Bingnan, vice-minister of commerce, said during a news conference in Shanghai.

Nearly 60,000 enterprises and agencies from home and abroad have registered online, he said. "The registration will be completed by the end of August, and 150,000 purchasers are expected to come to the fair."

World Trade Organization Director-General Roberto Azevedo, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi and International Trade Centre Executive Director Arancha Gonzalez have said they plan to attend, Wang said, adding that some heads of state have also confirmed they will attend.

The logo and mascot of the expo, which will have the theme "New Era, Shared Future", were unveiled on Friday.

The mascot is a giant panda named Jinbao, which is a pun in Chinese, simultaneously meaning "treasure of the CIIE expo" and "bringing in wealth".

Holding a clover, the panda wears a blue-and-yellow scarf embroidered with the expo's logo. Wang said the yellow represents the Silk Road Economic Belt and the blue is for the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, known collectively as the Belt and Road Initiative.

The four-leaf clover represents the shape, as seen from above, of the 300,000-square-meter National Exhibition Center in Shanghai, where the expo will be held from Nov 5 to 10, and also represents bringing people good luck.

Wu Qing, vice-mayor of Shanghai, said preparatory work for the expo is going smoothly. He said 1,700 three-star hotels will provide 250,000 rooms for those attending the expo.

Fang Hui, general manager of the venue's operations department, said the facility has been upgraded for power, fire safety, communications and parking to meet the demands of so many visitors.