Xinhua News Agency, Shanghai, November 10th Close-up: "Feel China warmer in shared development" - the 5-year "CIIE" process of the least developed countries
Xinhua News Agency reporters Chen Yao, Lou Chen, Xu Xiaoqing Buduomen
East Timor-Leste Black pepper, Laos Tea, Central African Republic wood carving, Ethiopian Coffee. These local specialties of the least developed countries, together with humanoid robots, digital assembly lines and other smart products from developed countries, appeared at the 5th China International Import Expo , aroused the strong interest of many buyers, and consultants and negotiations are endless.
Ethiopian coffee shot in the food and agricultural products exhibition area of the 5th CIIE on November 7. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Ying
Executive Director of the East Timor National Pavilion Berey organized the exhibition of products of the country for many years, witnessing the emergence of East Timor coffee from unknown to becoming an "Internet celebrity" in China. She said that the CIIE has driven the two countries to become increasingly close in trade cooperation and cultural exchanges, "In the process of sharing China's development opportunities, we feel a warmer China."
CIIE is the world's first national-level exhibition with import-themed theme. It is planned, proposed, deployed and promoted by President Xi Jinping himself, aiming to expand opening up and make China's big market a world opportunity. Since its first held in 2018, each session has attracted more than 100 countries, regions and international organizations to participate in the exhibition. The cumulative transaction volume of the first four sessions exceeded US$270 billion. There are a total of 145 national, regional and international organizations participating in this CIIE, and 284 leading companies in the Fortune 500 and industry, with a return rate of nearly 90%. The CIIE has become a window for China to build a new development pattern, a platform for promoting high-level opening up, and an international public product shared by the world.
In order to allow more countries to share China's development dividends, the organizers of the CIIE have widely invited least developed countries to participate in the exhibition since the first session, and provided two standard booths for each least developed country for free. During the exhibition, they also held a special supply and demand matching meeting to match exhibitors and buyers in these countries. In 2019, the organizer specially set up a venue in the country (region) center of Shanghai Free Trade Zone to open a national pavilion for countries in need to display their products and investment projects all year round. This year, the CIIE also worked with many multinational institutions and industry associations to help groups in underdeveloped countries participate in the exhibition. Since 2018, among the more than 40 least developed countries in the world, enterprises from more than 30 countries have come to the CIIE to seek business opportunities every year.
For the least developed countries, the road to CIIE is full of opportunities and surprises. Handmade carpets brought by Ali Faiz, founder of Afghan Bilalu Trading Co., Ltd., which has participated in the exhibition for three consecutive times, have always been a hot product for the CIIE. His booth is not dazzlingly decorated, and the carpets all over the walls and floors are silent advertisements. He said: "Selling a large handmade wool carpet can ensure the life of an ordinary family for nearly a year. The Chinese market allows many Afghans to see hope."
Ethiopian coffee distributor Wang Wenhan participated in the exhibition for the first time. While busy introducing products, he was freshly ground coffee for customers to taste the goods. He received more than 30 guests in the morning. "The CIIE is a platform with international credibility. Ethiopia is the hometown of coffee. We are confident that through the CIIE, more than Ethiopians can benefit from the Chinese market."
East Timor's gains at the CIIE far exceed the scope of economic and trade cooperation. In 2018, when this small country with an area of only 14,800 square kilometers and a population of about 1.3 million was invited to participate in the CIIE for the first time, it was "inconfidence" for its own country's product competitiveness and did not organize enterprises to participate in the exhibition and sales, but only showed the national image. At the second CIIE in 2019, the country tentatively displayed the few specialties such as cat shit coffee , wild honey , red wine and handicrafts.
On June 6, 2022, workers bagged the dried coffee beans at a coffee factory in Elmera, East Timor. Xinhua News Agency reporter Xu Qin photographed
exhibits became popular. East Timor's fine coffee is favored by young Chinese consumers and won US$5 million in one fell swoop at the third CIIE in 2020.At the 4th CIIE, East Timor Coffee once again gained its reputation with the help of a free robot barista "stand" provided by a Chinese company.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics of East Timor show that in 2021, the country exported 348 tons of coffee beans to China, and increased by 31.4 times year-on-year.
"East Timor-Leste products are green and pollution-free, which is in line with the pursuit of healthy life by Chinese consumers." Beilei said, "This gives us great confidence."
Before the opening of this CIIE, the organizers took the initiative to coordinate relevant institutions to help East Timor-Leste products build a new and larger booth for free. The total area of the booth doubled compared to last year to 36 square meters. East Timor turmeric powder, black pepper, natural sea salt and other organic healthy foods were unveiled at the CIIE for the first time this year.
Li Manxiong, a local businessman who brought East Timor coffee into the Chinese market, launched more than a dozen products processed with East Timor coffee beans at the exhibition this time. His booth was crowded with people, "it was more popular than in the past, and many of them were repeat customers." He said: "The CIIE has enhanced the popularity of East Timor and hopes to continue to use this platform to let more East Timor products go to the world and benefit the people of East Timor."
Elmera is one of the main coffee producing areas in East Timor. In recent years, local coffee beans have been screened and processed and exported to China. Many coffee growers have thus secured their income. They bought motorcycles and some bought cars.
While coffee is being marketed in China, East Timor continues to benefit from the spillover effect of the CIIE. In December 2019, with the joint promotion of the two governments, the East Timor National Pavilion settled in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, becoming the country's all-weather display platform; in September of the following year, the East Timor Coffee Industry Center was unveiled at the National Pavilion, leveraging China's talents and technology to continuously promote the quality and upgrading of the East Timor coffee industry.
Afghan pine nut products shot at the 5th CIIE on November 5. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Ying
During this CIIE, under the coordination of the organizers, more powerful Chinese enterprises and international institutions extended a helping hand to underdeveloped countries participating in the exhibition. Enterprises in Nepal , Madagascar , Mozambique and other countries participated in the exhibition through the United Nations International Trade Center. The Central African Republic, Niger , Angola , Somali and other countries participated in the exhibition with the help of institutions such as European and American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and launched special products such as weaving, wood carvings, stone crafts.
Secretary-General of the European and American Chamber of Commerce and Industry was established Yan said that through the large platform of the CIIE, enterprises in these least developed countries have begun to contact the Chinese market and formed a long-term mechanism to promote the strengthening of exchanges between the two sides at all levels of private, trade, etc. to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.
