China’s eighth International Import Expo (中国国际进口博览会, or CIIE 2025) launched this week. Far from your run-of-the-mill trade show, with the shadow of uncertainty hanging over the global economy, this year’s expo becomes something of a weathervane for China’s global business ambitions.
More than 4,100 companies from 155 countries and regions, including 290 Fortune 500 firms, filled the largest exhibition space the expo has known. Among attendees was Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who hailed the event as a gateway for the world economy to enter China.
Much of the talk from officials was around an uncertain global economy. Another Beijing bigwig, vice-minister of commerce took his moment at the expo to say that ‘China will continue to serve as a stabilizing force for the global economy, promoting regional cooperation and reinforcing the multilateral trading system, while offering long-term predictability to global investors,’
And those global investors haven’t been shy. Participation has been broader than ever: the number of Belt and Road partner nations jumped 23%, while African representation soared 80% year-on-year.
Digital trade takes centre stage this year, with a new cross-border e-commerce zone linking overseas suppliers to Chinese retail platforms. CIIE 2025 will debut 461 new products, technologies and services spanning sectors from humanoid robotics to drones.
Another six themed zones cover medical equipment and healthcare, automobiles, technical equipment, consumer goods, food and agricultural products and trade in services. The medical area leans into China’s growing ‘silver economy’ – a market targeting the country’s ageing population.
But the bigger story lies beyond the exhibition halls. For China’s economy, CIIE 2025 is as much about confidence as commerce. As growth slows and global demand softens, the expo serves as a public reminder that China’s vast consumer base remains a crucial engine for trade. The record participation suggests that, despite geopolitical frictions, multinational companies are still keen to keep a foot in the Chinese market.
China is signalling that its doors are open, yet it’s doing so on its own terms. The arrival of zones dedicated to digital trade, robotics, and tech show where Beijing wants international capital and expertise to flow.
Since its launch in 2018, CIIE has generated over $500 billion in intended deals and evolved from a trade fair into a stage-managed show of resilience. In a year marked by economic caution, Shanghai’s import expo is Beijing’s way of saying that China is a port in a storm, that its markets still matter, and that it plans to stay at the centre of global business.
