中文
By Matteo Giovannini
The National Exhibition and Convention Center, the main venue for the eighth China International Import Expo, in Shanghai, China, November 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
As the global economy navigates a landscape of rising uncertainties, from unstable geopolitical dynamics to sluggish trade recovery, the world is searching for dependable anchors of stability and growth. Against this backdrop, the eighth China International Import Expo (CIIE), taking place in Shanghai from November 5 to 10, stands as a powerful statement that China remains dedicated to advancing a new phase of global engagement and to sharing the dividends of its market globally.
This year's CIIE carries particular significance, coming on the heels of the fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. The communique issued from the meeting sends a clear message about China's development direction: deepening reform through high-level opening up, safeguarding the multilateral trading system and promoting broader international economic flows. The CIIE is a direct manifestation of this commitment through action.
Since its inception in 2018, the CIIE has served as the world's first national-level expo dedicated entirely to imports. It has become a vital platform for global companies to access China's vast market, while supporting China's own economic transformation from high-speed growth to high-quality development.
Over the years, the expo has attracted thousands of multinational enterprises, facilitated intended deals worth billions of dollars and most importantly, created a more open and dynamic environment for international economic cooperation. The eighth edition is expected to expand this role, unleashing new possibilities for mutual benefit.
China today remains one of the most powerful engines of global growth. As the world's second-largest economy and the largest goods trader, China's domestic demand continues to offer tremendous opportunities to international businesses. The CIIE functions as a gateway to these opportunities, connecting global supply with the increasingly sophisticated needs of Chinese consumers and industries. From cutting-edge technologies and high-end manufacturing to green development solutions and cultural products, the expo supports Chinese modernization while diversifying the country's connections with global partners.
What makes the CIIE especially significant at this juncture is its alignment with China's vision of modernization, a path that emphasizes shared prosperity, green and innovation-driven development and integration with the global economy. China recognizes that modernization cannot happen in isolation.
The CIIE promotes an open economy that welcomes world-class products, technologies and services to complement China's internal development. It helps Chinese industries climb up the value chain by absorbing international expertise, while enabling foreign enterprises of all sizes, from Fortune 500 giants to start-ups, to grow alongside China.
An exhibitor shakes hands with a robot at the China Pavilion during the eighth China International Import Expo, November 5, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
Additionally, the CIIE continues to serve as a major stabilizing force for global trade. At a time when protectionist tendencies are weakening cross-border commerce, the expo reaffirms China's belief in rules-based multilateralism. By encouraging openness and competition, China is working to ensure that global markets remain interconnected and predictable, which is a critical condition for sustainable global recovery. This year's focus on institutional openness, including improvements in trade facilitation, market access and standards cooperation, advances the implementation of new rules that align with high-quality development.
The Shanghai expo is also a laboratory for global collaboration on future growth engines. Themes such as artificial intelligence, biomedicine, green technology and digital trade are expected to be center stage, underscoring how innovation is key to both China's development ambitions and the world's transition toward more sustainable economic models. With China now leading in areas such as renewable energy deployment, smart manufacturing and digital infrastructure, the CIIE becomes a platform for scaling transformative partnerships that can drive global progress.
Moreover, the CIIE provides strong momentum for confidence. Global business confidence has been under pressure due to inflation challenges, supply chain disruptions and geopolitical tensions. By offering certainty through openness, China demonstrates its readiness to create a predictable and welcoming environment for foreign enterprises. The expo has helped countless companies secure China as a key part of their long-term strategies, reinforcing trust in global economic collaboration.
Ultimately, the CIIE is much more than a trade fair. It stands as a symbol of China's evolving role in the global economy. It reflects a nation that continues to embrace the world rather than turning inward. It promotes a development model where growth is shared, where innovation is encouraged and where collaboration is valued over confrontation. It sends a message that China remains an indispensable partner in tackling collective challenges and unlocking global prosperity.
At a time when the world needs unity, confidence and long-term vision, the eighth CIIE once again demonstrates China's willingness to connect, cooperate and contribute. As China advances toward its goal of building a modern socialist country, platforms like the CIIE ensure that this journey will be traveled together with the global community while creating new horizons for mutual benefit and common development.
The author is a finance professional at the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, a non-resident associate fellow at the Center for China and Globalization and a member of the Global Young Leaders Dialogue.
