Business
16:57, 27-Jul-2018
China Int'l Import Expo mascot unveiled as 100-day counts down
Updated
16:11, 30-Jul-2018
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The mascot for the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) was officially unveiled in Shanghai on Friday, coinciding with the 100-day countdown to the event. Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua and the Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China Li Qiang attended the ceremony.
The mascot is named “Jinbao,” which sounds like “Jinbo,” the abbreviation of the CIIE in Chinese, and means "treasure of the CIIE" and “bringing in wealth.”
Jinbao is a giant panda who wears a blue and yellow scarf embroidered with the logo of the CIIE. The yellow represents the Silk Road Economic Belt and the blue represents the Maritime Silk Road in the 21st century.
The logo of the CIIE. /CIIE Photo
The logo of the CIIE. /CIIE Photo
The CIIE's slogan is “New Era, Shared Future,” which carries on the principles of the Belt and Road Initiative, including extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits.
“The slogan carries on the principles and spirit of the Belt and Road Initiative. Extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits are all part of that spirit,” explained Wang Bingnan, vice minister of Commerce.
The municipal government of Shanghai is busy preparing for the event.
“The exhibitors will take part in the event for a week, but we will serve them for a year,” said Wu Qing, deputy mayor of Shanghai, “We are building a one-stop trade facilitation platform, which can showcase products online and provide consultation to companies throughout the year.”
Shanghai is also upgrading its transportation, catering, and customs services for the event.
The event will be hosted from November 5 to 10 in Shanghai at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) and represents China’s measures to further open up its market to the world.
According to the CIIE, about 2,800 companies from more than 130 countries and regions will showcase products for an estimated 150,000 buyers.
“This is an important measure that China is taking the initiative to open its market to the world. It will help expand our imports and facilitate the balanced development of foreign trade. This is the first national-level exhibition with the theme of exports, which shows great determination and confidence in opening up,” said Wang.
China is the second largest economy in the world, as well as the second largest global importer and consumer. Over the next five years, China expects to import products and services worth more than 10 trillion US dollars.
(CGTN's Wang Hui contributed to the story.)