CICPE Photo: Chen Tao/GT

Foreign businesses from a wide range of industries, from vehicles to food and beverages, are flocking to the annual China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, South China's Hainan Province, as they seek to strengthen their ties with the vast Chinese consumer market.

The strong presence of the world's companies at the six-day expo, which is being held from Sunday to Friday, is yet another sign of the resilience and vitality of the Chinese market, with several foreign delegates also rejecting claims by certain Western media outlets about weakened consumer spending in China.

Speaking with a Global Times reporter at the CICPE, Song Guanhua, a person-in-charge of the Singapore pavilion at the expo, said that many Singaporean brands had previously participated in the CICPE individually, but this year marked the first time they were exhibiting as a group, highlighting the importance Singaporean businesses place on the growing Chinese consumer market.

The participating Singaporean exhibitors represent a diverse range of industries and consumer needs, from bird's nest products to luxury safes. A total of five companies joined the exhibition.

The expo serves as a platform for interaction between Chinese consumers and businesses, and it is an important gateway for Singaporean companies looking to enter the Chinese market, Song said, noting that with its 1.4 billion population offering massive consumer potential and the strengthening ties between China and Singapore, "China has become a top destination for Singaporean businesses expanding overseas."

This year marks Tesla's fifth consecutive appearance at the expo, making it a full attendee and participant since the event's inception. Over the previous four years, Tesla continuously evolved its exhibition approach, from showcasing products in the early days to highlighting green mobility and intelligent manufacturing, underscoring the company's ongoing efforts to explore the intersection of technology and consumer needs in China, according to the company.

Meanwhile, Volkswagen Group China is participating in the CICPE for the third consecutive year, presenting a strong lineup of nine cars and two motorcycles. Liu Yunfeng, executive vice president of Volkswagen Group China, said in a press release that the company sent to the Global Times that the company is committed to its "In China, for China" strategy and is embracing the transition to the era of intelligent and connected vehicles. The German carmaker pledged to continue to strengthen its presence in the Chinese market, with a broad product portfolio and forward-looking technological solutions.

In addition to automakers, TCP Group is participating in the CICPE for the fifth consecutive year as the founder and owner of the global Red Bull brand, the energy drink conglomerate.

Saravoot Yoovidhya, CEO of TCP Group, said in a press release the company shared with the Global Times, "As a leading Thai food and beverage enterprise that began its global journey from Hainan, TCP Group is honored to have witnessed, participated in and benefited from Hainan's development over the years. As a key component of the Hainan Free Trade Port initiative, the CICPE provides an international platform for foreign enterprises to showcase products and services, explore business opportunities and establish strategic partnerships.

"We will continue to deepen our presence in China by leveraging the favorable policies of the Hainan Free Trade Port," Yoovidhya said

This is the second time for Daniel Bont to attend the expo in Hainan and he is impressed by the wide presence of cutting-edge products related to electric vehicles (EVs) at the event. The development of Chinese EVs is very impressive, and there is a high complementarity between Switzerland and China in this sector and beyond, said Bont.

As a senior consultant from Switzerland Global Enterprise, an official Swiss organization for export and investment promotion, Bont understands the importance of the Chinese market for Swiss businesses' development.

The organization has nine different companies representing 11 brands from Switzerland at this year's expo, ranging from sectors such as cosmetics to watches and baby milk powder.

Data recently released by the China General Chamber of Commerce showed that the China retail prosperity index stood at 50.5 percent in April, up 0.3 percentage points from the previous month, an indication of a slight improvement in the overall performance of the nation's retail sector during the month, according to a report published by CCTV.com.

Analysis suggests that with seasonal promotions and trade-in programs for consumer goods gaining momentum in April, the retail business environment has continued to improve and consumer activity steadily increased, the report said.

The active participation of foreign enterprises itself refutes the claims made by some Western media outlets about so-called "weak consumption" in China, Li Changan, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies at the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times on Monday.

With a population of more than 1.4 billion, China represents an enormous market, the expert said, noting that consumer purchasing power is steadily expanding, while consumption scenarios and the range of available goods and services continue to diversify. Together, these trends are making China an increasingly dynamic market with immense potential, said Li.