HAIKOU, May 7. /TASS/. More than 2,500 brands from 69 countries are on display at the first China International Consumer Products Show, which kicked off on Friday in Hainan's Haikou. The exhibition will run until May 10 at the Hainan International Exhibition Center.

Over 850 Chinese and over 640 foreign companies have confirmed their participation in the exhibition. The total exhibition area reaches 80,000 square meters, of which 60,000 square meters will be given to foreign participants. In terms of scale, it is the largest consumer products fair in the Asia-Pacific region.

Switzerland was chosen as the event's guest of honor. A number of countries, including Germany, Ireland, France, South Korea and Japan, will exhibit their national pavilions. The exposition will be divided into five main sections: fashion, jewelry and diamonds, high-quality food and health products, travel and tourism products, and comprehensive services.

The proposal to organize the exhibition was included in the program for the construction of Hainan's free trade port, published on June 1, 2020. On September 20, 2020, the CPC Central Committee and the Chinese State Council approved the event. The expo is organized by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan administration. This is the first consumer products exhibition in China.

The symbol of the exhibition was named Yuanxiao. Its looks resemble a heart, which is formed by two Hainan gibbons - a rare species of primates that live only in this Chinese province and are on the verge of extinction.

The organizers of the fair expect that the exhibition will bring together about 20,000 professional customers and more than 200,000 visitors. The visitors will be able to purchase some of the goods presented at the exhibition under the duty free program.

Free trade port 

The Chinese authorities deem this fair very important and see the exhibition as an important part of the efforts to build Hainan's free trade port. The program for the implementation of this project provides for the transformation of the island into a special customs zone. The country's government expects to complete the creation of the free port in general by 2025: by this time, a system for ensuring free trade and investment should be set up on the island.

By 2035, the free port and its model will become more solid. By this time, it is planned to ensure freedom of trade and investment, cross-border movement of capital, people, and freight traffic on Hainan.