SHANGHAI, Nov. 8 — As China hosts the 2026 APEC year, the ongoing ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) serves as a tangible demonstration of the Asia-Pacific pursuit of open regionalism, bringing together established multinationals, rising SMEs and industry innovators to turn China’s enormous market potential into shared opportunities for the whole region.
Running from Nov. 5 to 10 in Shanghai, the world’s first national-level expo dedicated to imports has drawn wide-ranging delegations and exhibitors from across the Asia-Pacific. Southeast Asian players, including Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore, alongside economies in Oceania and Northeast Asia, have brought consumer goods, advanced technologies and innovative services to the exhibition halls.
Paijit Viboontanasarn, vice chairman and secretary general of the Thai Chamber of Commerce in China, said in an interview with Xinhua that the CIIE offers Thai businesses a gateway to the Chinese market, helping smaller firms find customers and test business models while enabling larger companies to deepen cooperation.
“Beyond securing orders, the CIIE allows businesses to test whether their products and business models appeal to Chinese consumers,” Paijit said. He described the expo in three words: “unique,” “opportunity,” and “openness,” citing its import focus, opportunities for businesses of all sizes, and participation from across the world.
Thai brands are putting this into practice. Botanical fragrance maker Phutawan and snack producer MagMag are showcasing their signature products at this year’s expo.
“Trade goes both ways,” said Nonthakogh Panyapadhm, founder and CEO of MagMag. “Business can last only if both sides benefit.”
Mark Lee, chairman of the Singapore Business Federation, noted that for Singapore businesses, the value of attending the CIIE “deepens over time.”
“Many of our companies begin by using the CIIE to build visibility and gather market insights. Over several years, those initial engagements can grow into distribution agreements, joint ventures, and in some cases, regional partnerships that extend beyond China into Southeast Asia,” Lee told Xinhua. The federation is leading a 54-company Singapore delegation for the ninth consecutive edition of the expo.
Samsung, the South Korean conglomerate, marks its ninth straight year at the CIIE. Zhang Daijun, senior vice president of Samsung China, pointed out that the group keeps expanding its high-end investment and local R&D footprint in China.
“China’s firm commitment to expanding high-standard opening up has created more opportunities for international enterprises, and provided a stable and predictable environment for their development, injecting greater certainty into global trade cooperation,” Zhang said.
From the Southern Hemisphere, Australian and New Zealand enterprises are also actively engaging with Chinese consumers via the expo.
Rhys Roberts, national president and chair of the Australia China Business Council, said what matters most to Australian members is what happens after the expo. “Conversations that start on the show floor become distribution agreements, repeat orders and long-term partnerships, and that is where the real value lies,” he said.
Sanchia Yonge, chief executive of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, regards the CIIE as a valuable opportunity for New Zealand exporters to showcase products, understand the evolving Chinese market, strengthen brand awareness, and connect with customers and partners for long-term growth.
Blis Technologies, a New Zealand biotechnology company, is experiencing a new milestone this year, as it will have its own independent booth at the Shanghai expo. In just two years, sales of its oral probiotics products in China have exceeded 100,000 orders.
It’s very important to attend the expo on a regular basis because the Chinese market is changing quickly, said Scott Johnson, CEO of Blis Technologies.
Humprey Arnaldo Russel, head of the ASEAN-China Research Center at the University of Indonesia, commented that the CIIE serves as a vital “gateway” for regional small and medium-sized enterprises to tap the Chinese market and build resilient trade networks amid shifting global dynamics.
“China gives opportunities to countries all across the globe,” he said. “We need an open system where people with small and medium-sized enterprises, whether in Africa, Indonesia, Vanuatu, or Fiji, have the opportunity to trade across the globe based on WTO rules.”(Namibia Daily News/Xinhua)
