A Glimpse into What Is Behind the Several "Firsts" Achieved by the 2nd Western China International Fair Import and Export Expo

CHENGDU, China, Sept. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2nd Western China International Fair Import and Export Expo and Western China (Sichuan) International Investment Conference will be inaugurated on Sep. 15.

Located 15 kilometers south of the Century City along the Tianfu Avenue lies the Western China International Expo Center ("Center") at Tianfu New Area. The 2nd Western China International Fair Import and Export Expo and Western China (Sichuan) International Investment Conference ("Expo" "Conference") will be held here from Sep. 15 to 18. It is not only this Expo's first relocation, but also this Center's first official exhibition. There are many similar "firsts" for this Expo.

Many countries Attending this Expo and Conference for the First Time

Sichuan is widening its "circle of international friends"

As of now, there are government organs, industrial organs, and well-known enterprises of 75 countries and regions to attend the Expo. The former politicians, provincial and department heads, ambassadors to China, foreign friends, and heads of international organizations such as United Nations Procurement Division will attend the Conference including Italy, Thailand, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Cambodia, Nepal, and the Republic of Belarus. Among them, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Ethiopia will attend this Expo for the first time. More than 20,000 Chinese and foreign guests are expected to participate in the Expo, far exceeding the previous one, which will deliver much more international influence.

Why does this high-rank international event attract global attention - the reason behind this is that Sichuan has practiced the high-level and high-end opening-up with a growing bigger circle of international friends. Recent years have borne witnessed to a multitude of high-profile guests to come to Sichuan for courtesy visits, investigation and signing agreements. Consequently, the friendship between Sichuan and the world have been deepening and cooperations tightening. Mounting consulates, sister cities and airlines have facilitated Sichuan to spread its "circle of friends" across the globe. Inland Sichuan is building up a closer relationship with the world.

Setting up the Industrial Cooperation Exhibition Area under the "Belt and Road" Initiative for the First Time

Pinpointing the combination points between the "Belt and Road" Initiative and Sichuan's industries to deliver pragmatic results   

Tang Limin, Secretary General of Sichuan Provincial People's Government, has highlighted its role in offering facilitation for the "Belt and Road" Initiative. This is also one of its features. This Expo will see 36 countries (regions) alongside the "Belt and Road" Initiative attending, accounting for 48% of all participant countries (regions). It will set up an exhibition pavilion for countries alongside the "Belt and Road" Initiative to showcase local outstanding enterprises and characteristic commodities. Its first establishment of Industrial Cooperation Exhibition Area under the "Belt and Road" Initiative and Tourism Exhibition Area will be committed to promoting tourism and aviation services with local characteristics together with the Republic of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Iceland and seven other countries.

The exhibition by domestic provinces (regions, cities) will focus on cooperation projects and their achievements with countries (regions) alongside the "Belt and Road" Initiative and provincial state-owned enterprises will mainly demonstrate their accomplishments in investment, construction and projects in countries (regions) alongside the "Belt and Road" Initiative. Meanwhile, a number of special investment promotion activities for "Belt and Road Initiative" will be held, such as Chinese Entrepreneurs Summit and International Multimodal Transport and Cross-border Trade Development Conference.

Diverse kinds of activities centering on the "Belt and Road" Initiative will be held and it is key to pinpoint the combination points between the "Belt and Road" Initiative and Sichuan-based industries. Fox example, in alignment with the Republic of Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, Sichuan Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine is expecting to exert a joint effort with these countries in site selection and construction for traditional Chinese medicine institutions so as to deepen exchanges and cooperation between the distinctive TCM industries with other regions; cooperation with cross-boarder e-commerce is developed. Themed "New Silk Road, New Sichuan-based Enterprises", the 4th Western China E-commerce Development Summit will revolve about how e-commerce can boost Sichuan-based enterprises to "go global".

Setting up the Parallel Import Motor Exhibition Area for the First Time

Sichuan has seized opportunities presented by the Pilot Free Trade Zone to pioneer the efforts   

This Conference will set up several exhibition areas related with the Pilot Free Trade Zone. For example, the Parallel Import Motor Exhibition Area that is established for the first time will make its debut. At that time, citizens will see parallel import motor exhibits including BMW and other famous brands; it will also particularly set up an exhibition area for Sichuan's pilot reform zone for all-round innovation under the China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone. Sichuan Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau will establish an exhibition area for the first time and lead a group of representative import enterprises to attend this conference.

China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone was inaugurated on April 1, 2017. In May of this year, the first parallel import motor trade and exhibition center was put into trial service at Qingbaijiang District of Sichuan Pilot Free Trade Zone. Consequently, the price of automobiles of the Pilot Free Trade Zone will be cut by 15% to 30% compared with those of traditional automobile sales serviceshop 4S. Sichuan Pilot Free Trade Zone has initiated a new inspection, quarantine and supervision model for international exhibitions which will be applied in this event. According to the related head of Sichuan Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China has delegated the exhibits inspection and quarantine right for international exhibitions to Sichuan Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau. And the inspection exemption is available for general entry exhibits so as to simplify inspection declaration-related documents for participant enterprises. Under these innovative measures, facilitation of approval upon declaration to the port is available for general exhibits free from inspection; the clearance time will be decreased by 50% for exhibits that need inspection.  

These achievements will be an integrated demonstration of innovative mechanisms and pioneering efforts made by the Sichuan Pilot Free Trade Zone after its establishment.
 
Holding the Import and Export Exhibition at the Center for the First Time

The Center's officially inaugural exhibition is worth high expectations for this new exhibition pavilion will open a world of new opportunities

The venue of this Conference will be relocated from the Century City to the Western China International Expo Center. According to Xie Lu, Division Chief of Service Industry Development Division of Economic Development Bureau of the Management Committee of Tianfu New Area, the Center is much more than an exhibition hall. Based on and underpinned by it, Tianfu New Area will lay its emphasis on developing a headquarters economy and exhibition industry ecology sphere. It will strive for integration of industries and cities through the establishment of Exhibition Industrial Park in Tianfu New Area with its support.

Relocation of the holding venue will present the Center new opportunities. According to Wang Mian, head of the preparatory group of Sichuan International Exhibition Co., Ltd., the Center will bear the important task to help Tianfu Center develop into an international exhibition functional zone and Chengdu into a world-famous exhibition city. This center will be a leading project to promote development of Sichuan's exhibition industry. As the Center's operation and management organization Sichuan International Exhibition Co., Ltd. has taken "achieving professionalization in one year, branding in three years and internationalization in four years" as its mission. It is planning to expand the exhibition area with over 100 thousand square meters and take the first place in the exhibition quantity among Central and Western China.

SOURCE Organizing Committee of Western China International Fair Import and Export Expo