The eighth China International Import Expo (CIIE) opened Tuesday in Shanghai, underscoring China’s push to deepen international cooperation in the fields of e-commerce, technology, and medical innovation amid rising uncertainty in the global trading environment.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang attended the opening ceremony, pledging that China will continue to expand market access and share the opportunities offered by its vast consumer market with the world.

Li described CIIE, held from Nov. 5 to 10 and spanning a record 430,000 square meters, as “a gateway for the world economy to enter China and an important bridge connecting China with the world.” He noted that the record number of participating companies this year — 4,108 from 155 countries and regions, and 290 Fortune 500 firms and industry leaders — demonstrates the “vitality and dynamism of China’s enormous market.”

Compared with last year, 23% more exhibitors from 123 Belt and Road partner countries are also in attendance. Participation from UN-defined least developed countries (LDCs) also increased to 163 exhibitors, up 23.5% from last year, while the number of African companies present rose by 80%.

“China’s vast market offers stability in an uncertain world,” said Sheng Qiuping, China’s vice minister of commerce. “We aim to use the ‘certainty’ of China’s open market to offset the ‘uncertainty’ of global demand and international cooperation.”

Reflecting the rise of digital trade, this year’s CIIE for the first time features a cross-border E-commerce Service Zone, designed to facilitate matchmaking between overseas suppliers and Chinese online retail platforms.

This year’s event will showcase 461 new products, technologies, and services — nearly half making their global debut. Exhibitions spotlight new technological frontiers such as the low-altitude economy and humanoid robotics.

CIIE features six major exhibition areas related to medical equipment and health care, automobiles and intelligent transportation, technical equipment, consumer goods, food and agricultural products, and trade in services, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

This year, the medical exhibition area focuses on the “silver economy” — products and services targeted toward people aged 50 and above — showcasing rehabilitation aids, elder care products, and sleep aids. The expo also features an interactive weight awareness-themed exhibition in line with the country’s designation of 2025 as the “Year of Weight Management.” The zone aims to encourage healthier lifestyles and stimulate sports-related consumption.

Established in 2018, CIIE is the world’s first national-level exhibition dedicated to imports. Since its inception, it has attracted more than 23,000 overseas exhibitors and generated intended deals worth over $500 billion.

Editor: Marianne Gunnarsson.

(Header image: A visitor looks at an air purifier patterned with dragons at the Eighth China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, Nov. 5, 2025. Wu Huiyuan/Sixth Tone)