What to expect from upcoming supply chain expo in Beijing

BEIJING - The second China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) will run from Tuesday to Saturday in Beijing.

As the world's first national-level exhibition focusing on supply chains, the expo will gather industry leaders and experts from around the world and help promote global cooperation in industrial and supply chains. The following is an overview of what to expect from this year's event.

Wider participation

Themed "Connecting the World for a Shared Future," the expo, hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), will see the participation of more than 600 companies, up about 20 percent from the first expo in 2023, according to the CCPIT.

Foreign exhibitors will account for 32 percent of the total, compared with 26 percent a year earlier. US companies will contribute the largest share of overseas participation, while the number of businesses from Europe and Japan will also increase significantly this year. Companies from countries participating in the Belt and Road cooperation will constitute 40 percent of foreign exhibitors at the 2024 edition.

Notably, to promote cooperation with less developed countries, China has invited many African enterprises to the expo and will provide free booths to help them showcase their products.

The expo's opening ceremony on Tuesday is expected to see the attendance of more than 1,000 global representatives, including political figures and business elites. It is estimated that the five-day event will attract a professional audience of about 200,000 in total.

Better showcase

Global industry leaders will exhibit their cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions in supply chains at this expo in China's capital.

Maersk and Sumitomo Electric are expected to debut new products, while Siemens will bring world-leading industrial automation technology to the event. China Resources and Honeywell will present technologies in the environmental protection and carbon reduction fields, while Rio Tinto, Bosch, Baowu Steel and XPENG will jointly exhibit in the expo's smart vehicle zone.

The 2024 expo will introduce a new exhibition area dedicated to advanced manufacturing, adding to last year's clean energy, smart vehicle, digital technology, healthy life, green agriculture and supply chain service areas.

A complete global advanced manufacturing industrial chain will be showcased in the new area, focused on four categories -- R&D and design, application of new materials, key components and processing, and intelligent manufacturing and high-end equipment.

This year's expo will have Hungary as its guest country of honor. The Hungary Pavilion will showcase Hungary's leading industries, unique resources, cultural heritage, beautiful landscapes and national brand image.

Closer cooperation

The expo is expected to further strengthen global consensus on industrial and supply chain cooperation, helping businesses from across the world to integrate more effectively into the global supply chain.

"Given the coexistence of opportunities and challenges in industrial transformation and international expansion, the CISCE holds significant importance," said David Xu, president of Bosch China.

CISCE acts as a crucial bridge in fostering communication and collaboration across the entire supply chain, noted Li Zheng, chief strategy officer of WOLQE, a German company focused on incubating startups in the new energy sector.

In the course of the exhibition, seven thematic events will be held, featuring domestic and international guests engaging in in-depth discussions. Additionally, over 300 activities, ranging from breakfast meetings to business negotiations, will take place during the expo.

A Beijing initiative, which aims to promote stable and smooth global supply chains, will be released at the event, and a flagship report will be published, providing analysis of new supply chain trends and drawing a global map for 11 key industries, including humanoid robots, smart cars and integrated circuits.

As the first of their kind in the world, two new indices will also be launched to provide governments and businesses with clearer insights into global supply chain development trends and risks.