Volunteers perform on stage at the swearing-in ceremony for volunteers of the upcoming sixth China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, east China, Oct. 17, 2023. A swearing-in ceremony for volunteers of the sixth CIIE was held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) on Tuesday. Up until now, the sixth CIIE has recruited over 5,700 volunteers from 40 universities in Shanghai.(Photo: Xinhua)

There are more than 500 business representatives from 56 Singaporean companies who will participate in the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE), the largest delegation since 2020, the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) said on Monday.

About 40 percent of Singapore exhibitors are participating in CIIE for the first time, and the other 60 percent were present at prior exhibitions. One of the largest metal companies in Singapore, Applied Total Control Treatment Pte Ltd, will be participating in the event for the first time. 

Occupying a total exhibition area of close to 1,286 square meters this year, the Singapore Pavilion, which spans across the Consumer Goods Hall, Food & Agricultural Products Hall and Trade in Services Hall will see Singaporean companies showcasing a wider range of innovative, high-quality, and reliable products and services. The design of the Singapore Pavilion will showcase Singapore as a dynamic and competitive capital of technological innovation and sustainable development, the SBF said. 

The CIIE remains an important platform for Singaporean companies looking to gain a foothold in the Chinese market, as well as those looking to reconnect with existing partners and deepen their networks in the market, according to CEO of SBF Kok Ping Soon.

Singaporean businesses are buoyed by the upgraded bilateral relationship between China and Singapore, and are looking forward to more significant trade and investment opportunities, he added. 

During last year's CIIE, there were 15 MOUs signed between Singapore businesses and their Chinese counterparts, with an estimated total value exceeding 20 million yuan, according to SBF.

According to SBF's National Business Survey 2022/2023, 42 percent of companies felt that overseas expansion plans were important, up from 32 percent in the previous year. 46 percent of Singaporean companies surveyed already have a presence in China. Among companies that plan to expand business overseas, 21 percent are keen to venture into China.

Global Times