HAIKOU /China/, July 25. /TASS/. The 2nd China International Consumer Products Expo in Haikou (Hainan Province, South China) will promote consumption and trade as well as economic development. Zhang Xiangchen, Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization said this on Monday in his video address to the opening ceremony of the expo.
"Over the past two years, the global economy has been hit hard by the pandemic, and the geopolitical situation has also damaged global supply chains and food security," he said. "Countries around the world are working hard to rebuild their economies. China is currently holding a consumer products expo, which will have a positive impact on boosting consumption and trade and developing the economy," Zhang Xiangchen pointed out.
He noted that "the International Consumer Products Expo and the construction of the Hainan free trade port are important measures to deepen China's reform and increase the country's openness to the outside world, to achieve high-quality economic development and promote global trade and economic cooperation." According to the official, "in this regard, the goals of the consumer products expo, [the establishment of] the Hainan Free Trade Port and the World Trade Organization are the same."
"The pandemic does not allow us to communicate face to face, but it has forced us to think about how to deal with new challenges and maintain a multilateral trade system based on multilateralism," the WTO Deputy Director-General continued. "I hope the International Consumer Products Expo will not only become an international trade platform, but also a platform for exchanging ideas," he summarized.
The 2nd China International Consumer Products Expo will be held from July 25 to 30 and will feature over 2,800 brands from more than 60 countries and regions around the world. Over 600 kinds of products will be unveiled during the expo. As expected, the exhibition will be visited by more than 40 thousand businessmen. France is the guest of honor at this year's event.
The opening ceremony marked the start of the Expo's business program. The exhibition itself started on Tuesday: from July 26 to 28 the exhibition will be open only for the business community and mass media, and on July 29-30 it will open its doors for the general public.