There will be more companies from the US attending the second China International Import Expo (CIIE) than the first expo, showing that the Chinese market holds great appeal for domestic and foreign companies, a senior official from the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), Ren Hongbin, said at a press conference on Friday. 

Last year, more than 170 companies from the US attended the fair, ranking third in attendance with an exhibition area of more than 36,000 square meters. This year, companies from the US are more active and the number of US firms attending the fair is beyond last year's figure, with an exhibition area 35 percent larger than last year's, Ren said. 

"The Chinese market has great appeal to companies at home and abroad, including US companies. For the US, even if there is some friction on the bilateral side, it can't stop the companies' attention and great enthusiasm for the Chinese market," he added. 

A total 61 countries have confirmed attendance at the national exhibition under the second CIIE, while more than 3,000 companies from 150 countries and regions will attend the CIIE's company exhibition, exceeding the first CIIE's attendance figure, said Wang Bingnan, Vice Minister of Commerce. 

More than 250 of the world's top 500 companies and industry leaders have signed up for the exhibition, he added. 

"Holding the fair shows that China's reform will not stop, and will give more driving force to our opening-up," Wang said. 

MOFCOM said the second CIIE will present AR and VR technologies and have an outdoor autonomous driving activity area for visitors to experience cutting-edge tech.

The second CIIE, which is scheduled to run from November 5-10 in Shanghai, will enter its 100-day countdown on Saturday, while anticipation runs high among prospective participants thanks to its huge success last year. 

Global Times