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Hong Kong’s leader has highlighted the city’s global competitiveness and its “superconnector” role between mainland China and overseas markets to Chinese Premier Li Qiang as the world’s largest import trade show opened in Shanghai. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu showed the state leader around the Hong Kong exhibition area at the eighth China International Import Expo (CIIE) on Wednesday. Themed “A brilliant new chapter of connectivity between the mainland and the world”, the exhibition area reflected Hong Kong’s dual advantages of having national and global opportunities under the “one country, two systems” governing principle and the international rankings the city had achieved, the government said. Li pledged at the opening of the annual six-day expo to further open up the mainland’s robust consumer market to international business following a landmark Sino-US deal last week to resolve trade disputes. Hong Kong’s chief executive led a city delegation to attend the opening ceremony and related events. “The expo is a successful and important platform with a rich network and resources that allows Hong Kong to be the superconnector,” Lee said. He noted that a record 380 Hong Kong companies from various industries had joined the show this year, 30 per cent higher than in 2024. He called the expo’s atmosphere very positive, noting that exhibitors he had spoken to were full of confidence and believed they could leverage the platform to effectively promote their products. The chief executive also expressed hope that all high-quality Hong Kong brands and products would be welcomed by people from different places. The city’s trade promoter, the Trade Development Council, is hosting two dedicated pavilions for the food and services sectors this year, drawing 54 Hong Kong exhibitors over a space of 1,500 square metres. Of the 54 enterprises, more than 40 per cent are joining the expo for the first time. “Some exhibitors told me the expo will help lift their exposure significantly,” Lee said. He said some exhibitors would be able to live stream product pitches while workshops would be held to share Hong Kong’s advantages in the innovation and technology, medical technology, professional services and logistics sectors. Other statutory bodies such as InvestHK and the Hong Kong Tourism Board are showcasing the city’s competitive edges and latest tourist features respectively. According to the organiser, the CIIE Bureau, the expo covers 430,000 square metres at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre and has attracted 4,108 companies from around the world. Deals worth US$80 billion were signed at the event last year, up 2 per cent from 2023, according to the bureau.
