On November 10th, the 8th China International Import Expo (hereinafter referred to as "CIIE") successfully concluded. Although the 6-day extension is fleeting, the "spillover effect" generated by the CIIE continues endlessly. More and more exhibitors are gradually transforming into partners who are deeply exploring the Chinese market. Increasing investment layout in the Chinese market has become a common understanding among many exhibitors. In the eight exhibition areas, there is a bustling flow of people and enthusiastic negotiations. The intention to purchase 10 billion yuan, the signing of nearly 2 billion US dollars in cooperation, and the landing of a large order worth 10.62 billion US dollars... The handwriting on each signing book and the handshake at each negotiation table outline a vivid picture of the deep "connection" between China and global enterprises. On November 10th, data released at the closing press conference of the 8th China International Import Expo showed that the exhibition area of the expo exceeded 367000 square meters, with 4108 companies from 138 countries and regions participating. Both the exhibition area and the number of companies reached a historic high. The intended annual turnover of this year's CIIE is 83.49 billion US dollars, an increase of 4.4% compared to the previous edition. At the same time, the debut function of this year's CIIE has been further enhanced, with a total of 461 representative new products, technologies, and services released. Among them, there are 201 global debuts, 65 Asian debuts, and 195 Chinese debuts, involving multiple industries such as biomedicine, green low-carbon, and technological equipment, with a higher proportion of artificial intelligence and humanoid robots. Nowadays, China is not only a "world factory" that sells globally, but also a "world market" that buys globally. While maintaining its position as the world's largest trading nation in goods for 8 consecutive years, China has become the world's second largest import market for 16 consecutive years. With its vast domestic demand market, it provides ample development space for high-quality goods from various countries. The latest data from the General Administration of Customs shows that in the first three quarters of 2025, China's total import and export value of goods trade was 33.61 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4%. Among them, exports amounted to 19.95 trillion yuan and imports amounted to 13.66 trillion yuan. With the effective release of domestic demand potential, imports increased by 0.3% year-on-year in the second quarter, and the year-on-year growth rate further accelerated to 4.7% in the third quarter. From the monthly trend, as of September, imports have achieved growth for four consecutive months. Previously, the relevant person in charge of the General Administration of Customs stated that observing China's import situation not only depends on the market size, but also on China's demonstration of great power responsibility in actively expanding imports. China is opening wider and wider, and sharing the development opportunities of Chinese path to modernization with more and more trade partners. In the first three quarters, China added access to 135 new agricultural and food products, involving 50 countries and regions. At the same time, China is actively promoting the signing of economic partnership agreements for common development, and implementing the measure of zero tariffs on 100% tariff products for 53 African countries that have established diplomatic relations. Customs will further optimize customs clearance convenience measures, empower innovative regulatory models through technology, and help more global enterprises share the Chinese market. On November 6th, He Yadong, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, stated at the regular press conference that "eight years ago, China established the only expo in the world with the theme of imports, the China International Import Expo, which demonstrated China's proactive role as a major country and its efforts to expand independent and unilateral opening up. Over the past eight years, the China International Import Expo has been getting better and better, with cumulative transactions exceeding 500 billion US dollars, and has become a globally shared international public product." It is reported that in order to undertake the "spillover effect" of the Expo, Shanghai has set up a year-round exhibition and trading platform, which not only helps to transform exhibits into commodities, but also promotes many participating enterprises to achieve localized production and truly take root in the Chinese market. 180 "fully enrolled students" from the CIIE have cast a vote of trust and walked between various exhibition halls, and reporters can truly feel the continuously increasing confidence. The exhibition booth continues to expand, the exhibits become increasingly diverse, and the cooperation continues to upgrade. The 180 "Quanqin Sheng" who arrived as scheduled tell their wonderful stories of growing together with the Chinese market through practical actions. At the medical device exhibition area, Song Weiqun, Global Executive Vice President of GE Healthcare and President and CEO of GE Healthcare China, told reporters, "China is an important part of our innovation and advanced manufacturing layout." As a "full-time student" who has participated in the CIIE for eight consecutive years, GE Healthcare has introduced more than 50 precision medicine innovation achievements from the exhibition booth into clinical applications and landed nearly 80 high-quality cooperation projects. Not far away, two innovative cardiovascular therapies made their global debut at Sanofi's booth. The 8th CIIE has never been absent, Sanofi's Dabitou? From the debut of CIIE to the approval of multiple indications, we have helped numerous patients regain their vitality and successfully completed the transformation from CIIE "exhibits" to benefiting clinical "products". China is our second largest market in the world, and we will continue to deepen our cultivation and share the opportunities of the times, "said Shi Wang, President of Sanofi Greater China, to reporters. AstraZeneca told reporters, "The products we launched at the first CIIE in 2018 have now accumulated imports of over 100 million US dollars in China. Among the seven innovative products showcased last year, one has been approved in the field of rare diseases this year." In the food exhibition area, Bright Food Group, which has participated in the CIIE for eight consecutive years, has transformed most of the exhibits into commodities and brought them to the dining tables of thousands of households. As of November 10th, we have reached an intention to sign contracts for procurement in dairy products, fruit products, wine, high protein meat, and other areas, with a cumulative amount of nearly 2 billion yuan, "the relevant person in charge of the group told reporters. Innovation and localization have become the key for these long-term participants in the CIIE to deeply cultivate the Chinese market. In the 500 square meter space of Honeywell exhibition area, new technological achievements are densely displayed. Over the past eight years, Honeywell's booth has expanded tenfold from just over 50 square meters in the first edition, showcasing approximately 170 innovative achievements, most of which have already been implemented in the Chinese market. The CIIE is an important platform for Honeywell to fulfill its commitment to 'innovation empowerment', "said Yu Feng, President of Honeywell Greater China. On the booth of Wyeth Nutrients, innovative products covering the entire lifecycle of pregnancy, childbirth, and infants are neatly arranged. Wyeth Nutrients Greater China President Qiu Ye said, "Wyeth Nutrients is continuously increasing its efforts in local research and development to promote the improvement of early life nutrition levels in China." "In the past eight years, with the help of the 'spillover effect' of the China International Import Expo, Eslite Luxottica has accelerated the landing of innovative products in China. ”Lin Guoliang, the President of Professional Visual Health at Yishilu Luxottica Greater China, stated that they are focusing on three major areas: classic brands, medical technology, and wearable devices, reshaping the way consumers "see the world". The stories of these companies collectively form a consensus: the CIIE is not just an annual exhibition, but also a booster for innovative achievements and a connecting point for cooperation networks. The 8th CIIE has come to an end, and preparations for the 9th CIIE have fully begun. At present, nearly a hundred foreign-funded enterprises have already confirmed their booths in advance. The contracted exhibition area for the enterprise exhibition exceeds 80000 square meters, and behind this number is a vote of trust cast by the enterprise through practical actions. Here, every handshake has the potential to spark new collaborations, and every booth is continuing the story of growing hand in hand with the Chinese market. (New Society)