Editor's note: Wei Lai is a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN.The article reflects the author's opinions, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

The China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) 2026 which kicked off on April 13 in Haikou, Hainan Province, marks a major milestone: The first such event since the Hainan Free Trade Port officially launched its island-wide special customs operations. With over 3,400 brands from more than 60 countries and regions – and international exhibits jumping to 65% of the total, up 20 percentage points from a year ago – the Expo has never been more global. But beyond the record-breaking numbers lies a bigger story. Step beyond the booths, and several details reveal what's really driving China's new quality economy.

Walk into the Expo halls, and you cannot miss it. Walls of bamboo. Bamboo bags, bamboo bowls, bamboo cutlery. Plastic is out. Bamboo is in. And it is not the "rustic" bamboo of the past. It is modern, high-tech, and global.

The Expo has gone all-in on green: 100% renewable electricity, 85% green construction in public areas, and a complete ban on single-use plastics. But the most telling detail is the Bamboo Instead of Plastic Initiative, showcased prominently with the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization. From bamboo-based food containers to bamboo fiber composites, these are not niche products. They are scalable alternatives backed by policy – including the newly released "Hainan Free Trade Port Bamboo Instead of Plastic Initiative."

Why does this matter for China's new quality economy? Because green is no longer a trade-off. It is a competitive advantage. Companies like Asia Pulp & Paper from Indonesia are displaying products with 98.8% recyclability and full carbon-neutral supply chains. Brands like Beijing Organic and Beyond Corporation are serving carbon-neutral coffee.

Green consumption, at this Expo, is not a moral appeal. It is a market reality. And it is being driven by something deeper: a systemic shift in manufacturing, supply chains, and consumer expectations. That shift – from "green as a slogan" to "green as a standard" – is one of the defining features of China's new quality productive forces.

While much of the Expo's attention falls on dazzling products and green innovations, another quiet revolution is taking place behind the scenes – one that makes global trade possible at scale. Walk into any booth, and the products on display are shipped, sorted, flown, and delivered by an increasingly intelligent logistics network. And at the heart of this network in China stands SF Express.

Take the Ark 40, an eight-rotor logistics drone that has completed over 1.07 million flights and covered more than 460,000 kilometers. This is not a prototype. It is in commercial operation, handling last-mile delivery in both urban and remote areas. The Ark 40 supports multiple delivery methods – cable dropping, throwing, and ground loading – making it adaptable to everything from island logistics in Hainan to emergency supply drops.

Why does this matter for the new quality economy? Because low-altitude logistics is not a gimmick. It is the physical manifestation of digital efficiency. Every drone flight generates data. That data optimizes routes, reduces fuel consumption, and shortens delivery times. When you combine drone delivery with smart warehousing, real-time tracking, and predictive algorithms, you get a logistics system that is faster, greener, and more resilient than anything that came before.

And at the heart of this reorganization is the Hainan Free Trade Port – a real-world laboratory for institutional openness. The special customs operations does not close Hainan off. On the contrary, it creates a clearly defined space where rules can be tested, cross-border capital can flow more freely, and new models of trade can emerge.

Wang Fanghong, director of Hainan Financial Research Institute of Bank of China told CGTN that Hainan Free Trade Port are achieving its strategy goals as a key gateway for China's opening up in new era. Despite the turbulence in global markets, Hainan will develop with great certainty. That confidence comes from the fact that China’s openingup policy is concrete and unchanged.

The term "new quality productive forces" has been discussed mostly in policy papers and economic forums. But at the Hainan Expo, it becomes tangible. You can see it in a bamboo basket that replaces plastic. You can feel it in a smart logistics service for global customers. You can taste it in a cup of carbon-neutral coffee for a green lifestyle.

China's economic upgrading is not happening in boardrooms alone. It is happening in exhibition halls, on payment screens, and in the choices consumers make every day. The shift from scale to substance, from volume to value, from imitation to innovation – is real, and it is accelerating.

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