Xi to deliver keynote speech at opening of 2nd CIIE

President Xi Jinping will deliver the keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the second China International Import Expo on Nov 5 in Shanghai, Vice-Minister of Commerce Wang Bingnan announced on Tuesday.

State leaders of France, Greece, Serbia and Jamaica will attend the upcoming CIIE, along with more than 140 ministerial foreign guests. Xi will meet related state heads or governmental leaders, and hold a welcome banquet for participating leaders.

The second CIIE, to be held from Nov 5 to 10, will boast a larger scale and higher level, and attract more attention. Sixty-four countries, three international organizations and more than 3,000 enterprises will attend the event, and the number of exhibitors will exceed that of the first expo. More new products, new technologies and new services will debut, Wang said at a press conference.

Also, 192 US companies, including a large number of Fortune Global 500 companies, will take part in the exhibition, up 18 percent year-on-year. Their exhibition area will reach 47,500 square meters, taking the top spot, the Ministry of Commerce said.

"The data indicates that the CIIE has great attraction to US companies. We welcome more US enterprises to participate in the event, and hope China and the United States will be able to achieve reciprocal economic advantages at the CIIE platform,” said Assistant Commerce Minister Ren Hongbin.

In addition, the second CIIE is expected to introduce a large number of distinctive and high-quality foreign products to China, and further fulfill the demand of domestic consumption upgrade. With one year of communications of cooperation between enterprises after the first CIIE, some companies have added their orders of certain products, the Ministry of Commerce said.

The CIIE also is foreseen as helping drive investments. In the past year, 137 exhibitors launched new companies or offices in Pudong, Shanghai, and many other existing companies have expanded their investments in China.