BEIJING: China is set to showcase the strides made towards self-reliance at an inaugural global trade fair this week, even as it looks to attract companies and shore up faltering foreign investments in the face of a slowing economy.
The participation of Western businesses at the China International Supply Chain Expo will also be in focus as Sino-US ties warm up following high-stakes talks between the countries’ leaders earlier this month.
China has promoted the five-day event – which begins in Beijing on Nov 28 – as the world’s first supply chain expo at the national level.
It will be the latest in a series of global trade shows China has held in the second half of the year. At least two have already taken place this month alone, the most recent being the Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou last week.
Chinese state media have framed these events as a sign of Beijing’s contributions to the global economy and its commitment to international trade.
A quarter of the 515 companies and institutions participating in the supply chain expo are foreign, hailing from 55 countries and regions, said event organiser the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT).
US firms make up around 20 per cent of the foreign registrations, with the likes of Amazon, Apple, Tesla, Intel, HP and Qualcomm among the line-up. European companies make up 15 per cent.
The number of US exhibitors is “much higher than expected”, according to the expo organiser.
“We hope that the participating US companies actively engage in the expo, yielding fruitful outcomes,” said CCPIT Vice-Chairman Mr Zhang Shaogang in a press conference last week.
Source: CNA
