The 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE) commenced yesterday in Shanghai and will run for six days. This year, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has a record presence of 380 companies, marking a nearly 30% increase from last year, with 40% of exhibitors participating for the first time. Chief Executive John Lee led a delegation to the opening ceremony and participated in related events, including a tour of the Hong Kong exhibition area in the China Pavilion, themed "Connecting the Interior and Exterior, Brilliant New Chapter." This theme showcases Hong Kong's unique advantages under the "One Country, Two Systems" framework, highlighting its ability to capitalize on both national and international opportunities.
During the morning, Lee and Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau attended the CIIE opening and the Hongqiao International Economic Forum. They later toured the Hong Kong exhibition area, emphasizing the region's strong representation. In the afternoon, accompanied by Yau and Peter Lam, Chairman of the Trade Development Council, they visited both the Hong Kong Food Pavilion and the Hong Kong Services Pavilion to support local enterprises.
Lee's delegation engaged with exhibitors from organizations such as the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Swire Group, Fung Group, HSBC, and Standard Chartered Bank. The Chief Executive was warmly received, with exhibitors offering their signature food and beverages for tasting. Lee inquired about the products on display and the exhibitors' goals, encouraging them to fully utilize the CIIE platform to promote Hong Kong brands internationally. He also stressed the importance of leveraging modern technology to achieve breakthroughs in product research, marketing, and collaboration with the Chinese mainland, even while in the food exhibition area.
CE expects the pavilion to be attractive
In an interview with the media, Lee stated that during his visit to the HK exhibition area with Premier Li, he reported on HK's important international rankings and advantages across various sectors. The Hong Kong SAR government will continue to unite all sectors and make full use of HK's strengths to serve the country. He also emphasized that HK is strongly supportive of the CIIE, which has proven to be a very successful platform that allows HK businesses to showcase their products to the Chinese mainland as well as to other countries and regions.
He mentioned, "Although we have not officially opened to the public yet, the response has already been so enthusiastic. I believe tomorrow (Nov. 6) will definitely be crowded. Tomorrow, HK will also hold an introduction to the 'Going Global Platform' task force. As a 'super connector' and 'super value-adder', I mentioned in the Policy Address that HK will set up a platform to help mainland enterprises expand internationally. So, we will have a detailed forum tomorrow."
The Hong Kong Food Pavilion and the Hong Kong Services Pavilion cover an area of 1,500 square meters, with 54 HK companies exhibiting. These cover a wide range of quality products and services, including food, innovative technology, medical technology, professional services, logistics, and information technology, highlighting HK's brand advantages and competitiveness. At the same time, they further promote HK's dual-platform function of "bringing in" and "going global." InvestHK also has a booth at the Hong Kong Services Pavilion, while the Hong Kong Tourism Board's exhibition area introduces the latest tourism offerings from HK.
Hong Kong's Platform for Mainland Enterprises to Expand Globally
In the evening, Chief Executive Lee and his delegation will dine with local Hong Kong residents and business representatives to understand their development and living conditions. Lee encouraged them to continue promoting Hong Kong's advantages and development opportunities, fostering economic and cultural exchanges between Shanghai and Hong Kong. On Nov. 6, Lee will meet with Shanghai Municipality leaders and attend the "Hong Kong: The Preferred Platform for Mainland Enterprises to Go Global" promotional event, organized by the HKSAR government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). Additionally, Yau will speak at a sub-forum of the Hongqiao Forum on "Maritime and Trade Finance Supporting High-Quality Development of Cross-Border Trade."
This year marks the third consecutive participation for Hong Kong-based Meat the Next at the Expo, where they are showcasing new plant-based milk flavors, probiotics, and silver-age foods. The company, incubated at Hong Kong Science Park, has developed "Tiga Milk" from naturally sourced ingredients.
The Co-founder and COO stated that after three years at the Expo, they've successfully promoted their plant-based milk products in mainland China and plan to sign cooperation agreements to advance their health-focused probiotic project. He highlighted Hong Kong's food technology advantages in science, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), and clean nutrition, expressing hope to strengthen expansion into mainland China by partnering with like-minded enterprises to promote sustainable and healthy food products.
PolyU Showcases Cooling Technology for Buildings and Innovation at CIIE
This year, the Hong Kong Services Pavilion featured two local universities, including The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), which presented five startups focusing on flexible sensing, advanced energy, and healthcare technologies. The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), participating for the third year, showcased two startups developing robotic technologies for endoscopic surgery and magnesium-based products to accelerate musculoskeletal repair.
PolyU Vice-President Christopher Chao Yu-hang emphasized the importance of transforming research into societal solutions, aligning with the CIIE’s goals of enhancing international trade and economic growth. The event serves as a global platform for PolyU to highlight its research excellence and support startups in exploring new markets.
PolyU's exhibits prioritize practicality, such as Easenory Technology Limited's washable smart fabric sensing systems and IEnergyX Limited's new building coating technology that enhances cooling and solar panel efficiency. Lee praised this innovation as a "two birds with one stone" solution during his exhibition visit.
Century-Old Brand Aims to Expand into Mainland Market
Pun Chun, a renowned Hong Kong brand with a 127-year history, is making its debut at this year's CIIE. Edwin, the fourth-generation chairman, aims to leverage modern platforms to enhance the brand's legacy and utilize the CIIE as an international promotional platform. Their participation seeks to connect with retail and catering groups to expand sales channels and increase brand awareness through product tastings, CCTV live broadcasts, and the Black Pearl Guide tour.
The company showcased innovative products, including its new "Traditional First Extracted Soy Sauce," crafted using a century-old fermentation method and sun-dried for over 730 days, resulting in a rich flavor. They are also preparing to launch a "Spicy Soy Sauce" for the mainland market.
The Chief Executive recognized Pun Chun's efforts, taking an interest in their products. Edwin, as a young business leader, is keen on exploring new sales channels in mainland China, planning live streaming and influencer promotions to reach a wider audience.
Emphasizing the importance of technology, Edwin noted that they have registered accounts on popular Chinese social media platforms like Xiaohongshu and Douyin. They plan to share their brand story and expect to launch an online store about two weeks after the Expo, aiming to elevate the century-old brand in the mainland market.
(Source: Wen Wei Po | English Editor: Zara, Liu Yu)
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