Import Expo Preparations: Products making China debut start to arrive

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Imported goods ranging from luxury race cars to ordinary daily items are arriving at China's first ever International Import Expo in Shanghai. Most of them are making their China debut. Some giant goods such as helicopters are dismantled into parts at the airport and then assembled at the venue. CGTN's Han Peng checks out one of the most high-profile exhibits.

Landing majestically in Shanghai, the most expensive exhibit coming to the China International Import Expo. The price tag: 200 million RMB, or 30 million US dollars. Made by Italian firm Leonardo, the giant helicopter is designed for emergency rescue operations.

ZHANG RONGYUAN SINO-US HELICOPTER INVESTMENT "It has the largest passenger cabin of this type of aircraft. It has 19 seats in total. In a rescue operation, it can carry up to six stretchers at one time."

Leonardo debuted the aircraft in 2014, and the import expo is where it will make its first China appearance.

HAN PENG SHANGHAI "Of course, this giant helicopter cannot fly into the venue of the Shanghai International Import Expo, so engineers will have to remove its nearly 8-meter-long rotors, before carrying them on a truck into the venue."

The Sino-US helicopter investment company says there are already potential buyers in China, and that they are expected to reach deals at the expo. With just a week to go, Shanghai has seen a surge in imported goods by some 28-hundred foreign firms from over 130 countries and regions.

JIANG KAIYUAN SHANGHAI CUSTOMS "Shanghai Customs has set up 38 special corridors for business persons and 92 special windows for goods coming into China for the Import Expo. Now with the big data platform, we are able to further cut red tape. The port clearance will see less paperwork and more automation."

The exhibition will cover an area of 300,000 square meters. And the jumbo helicopter may well be just the tip of the iceberg. Han Peng, CGTN, Shanghai.