(CIIE Story) Chinese business enterprises and the CIIE “achieve each other”

On October 24th in Shanghai, the China News Service reported that overseas Chinese businesses participating in the China International Import Expo (CIIE) experience a unique dual identity as both “foreign guests” and “hosts.” These businesses engage in various ways to support this global event, while the CIIE provides opportunities for their growth. The thriving success of the expo is a testament to the mutually beneficial relationship between overseas Chinese enterprises and the event itself.

“Every year, participating in the CIIE isn’t just a smart business decision, it comes with a powerful emotional resonance,” said Zhai Jingli, Vice President of Golden Light Group APP (China). For seven consecutive years, Golden Light Group has eagerly participated in the CIIE. “We view the expo as the most anticipated event of the year. We are both ‘foreign guests’ and ‘hosts,'” she remarked.

The CIIE serves as a platform for Chinese enterprises, including Golden Light Group, to showcase themselves and connect with international resources. Charoen Pokphand Group, a storied Chinese enterprise founded in Thailand in 1921, was the first foreign-invested company to enter mainland China in 1979 and has since established over 600 businesses in the country. The group has been a consistent presence at the CIIE. “The expo provides a crucial platform for communication and collaboration,” said Xie Yi, Senior Vice Chairman and CEO of Charoen Pokphand Investment Co Ltd. He explained that the CIIE enhances the company’s global trade strategy of “buying worldwide, selling worldwide,” while also attracting global buyers and partners, helping the company to explore new markets and partnerships.

Mu Yankui, President of Yihai Kerry (better known for its “Golden Dragon Fish” brand), shares a similar sentiment about the CIIE. “This is a platform for ‘China to host, the world to share.’ We have witnessed the CIIE’s growth, which has broadened our business development opportunities,” he said.

Mala, the company behind the well-known “Shao Ka” brand, has its roots in the Philippines. From starting as a small family workshop in Manila in 1946 to expanding into a limited company in 1966 and investing in factories in China in 1993, the brand has grown exponentially. Founded by Singaporean Chinese, Chairman Shi Xueli, now a third-generation Chinese resident, has integrated elements from the Philippines into the expo’s exhibition space. He believes that participating in the CIIE has bolstered Shao Ka’s confidence in establishing a foothold in China.

The CIIE has transformed from a “global expo” into a “world platform,” attracting overseas Chinese businesses and strengthening ties between their host countries and China. This participation accelerates these companies’ integration into the Chinese market, allowing them to share in the country’s opportunities.

Founded by the prominent Indonesian Chinese Huang Yicong in 1938, Golden Light Group entered the Chinese market through its APP paper and pulp division in 1992, and now operates globally. Zhai Jingli believes the CIIE is an essential “fast track” for Indonesian companies to integrate into the Chinese market. “The expo is a stage for showcasing products and technologies and an important gateway to understand China’s investment policies and explore partnership opportunities. Over the past six years, APP has secured over $700 million in intended orders at the CIIE, demonstrating its powerful international procurement capabilities.”

“There’s an old saying in China: ‘A rising tide lifts all boats,'” Xie Yi noted, pointing out that the CIIE’s spillover effects have contributed to Charoen Pokphand’s impressive performance in China, leading to significant growth in sectors such as agriculture, retail, pharmaceuticals, real estate, and finance across all provinces.

In addition to capturing opportunities for their own businesses, overseas Chinese companies actively facilitate market entry for local businesses in their respective countries. During the fifth CIIE, Shi Xueli devoted additional time to promote Filipino food. “The Philippines is known as the ‘Fruit Basket of the Pacific,’ with its bananas, mangoes, and papayas selling well around the globe,” he explained. “China’s vast market and potential are incredibly appealing to Filipino enterprises. The shared resources and connectivity make the Chinese market a global market, one that embodies the spirit of collaboration and shared growth.”

For the past seven years, overseas Chinese businesses have been jointly scripting new chapters of open cooperation and shared futures with the CIIE, utilizing its spillover effects to expand their global reach and build bridges for an open world economy. Shi Xueli recalls how at the first CIIE, Shao Ka unexpectedly met a government delegation from Uzbekistan, which led to establishing a factory there. “Such opportunities are rare, and that’s the surprise the CIIE has brought us,” he stated.

From a leisure food producer to a diversified multinational food group, Shao Ka is now actively expanding into overseas markets, establishing product lines in more countries, and offering new products and services to consumers. “As a Chinese business, like my predecessors, I have unwavering confidence in China and look forward to more surprises from Shanghai,” Shi said.

Charoen Pokphand Group not only organized 26 business sectors to participate in the sixth CIIE but also leveraged its strengths to help promote high-quality products from all over China to global markets, achieving a complementary effect. “Our strategy of ‘buying globally, selling globally’ reflects our enthusiasm to assist more Chinese companies in expanding into Southeast Asian markets,” Xie Yi expressed. “We are keen to utilize our advantages in capital, technology, and cultural exchange to build more collaborative platforms that connect China with nations worldwide.”

Zhai Jingli emphasized that continuous participation in the CIIE serves as a crucial driver for companies to enhance their development, broaden their commercial reach, and elevate their influence. “A single flower does not make a spring; it is a garden of many flourishing flowers,” she said. “In the future, we can help more Chinese companies go global and seize greater opportunities.”

Although the experiences of overseas Chinese businesses at the CIIE vary, their annual participation has become a shared commitment. The story of mutual growth and achievement between these companies and the CIIE continues to unfold.