This year's Fair has 3,496 exhibitors from 129 countries and regions participating in the enterprise exhibition, with the number of countries (regions) and the number of enterprises exceeding that of the previous session; the number of the world's top 500 companies and industry leading enterprises reached 297, a record high; 186 enterprises and organizations are participating in the event for the seventh consecutive year, and many foreign enterprises are here to tap the potential of China's market, to feel the vitality of China's innovation, and to explore the development trend of the future.
Zhong Zhonglin, CEO of Lippon China: The Fair is like a window for the world to see China's determination to further open its market to the world. The Fair is also like a bridge that allows international companies to bring in more advanced technologies, products and experiences. This year, the number of exhibitors and trade missions at the Fair has reached a new record high. As a premiere exhibitor, Lippon is encouraged and is looking forward to the spillover effect that the Fair will bring. As a company with roots in China for more than 30 years, Lippon has witnessed and benefited from the continuous optimization of China's business environment, and has deeply felt China's firm determination and unremitting efforts to promote a high level of openness. The implementation of the Foreign Investment Law and the optimization of the Negative List of Foreign Investment have further provided a fairer and more transparent investment environment for foreign enterprises.
Qian Koon, Senior Vice President, Qualcomm Worldwide: Over the past seven years, Qualcomm has continued to participate in the Fair and witnessed the power of openness, cooperation and sharing. With the two-way empowerment of 5G-Advanced and AI, Qualcomm is confident that these technologies will bring brand new opportunities and create more cooperation opportunities for Chinese partners in smartphones, PCs, automobiles and even the Internet of Things. The Fair, as a platform for showcasing innovations and a bridge for promoting international cooperation and exchanges, will help the company continue to promote close cooperation with Chinese partners and jointly promote globalization.
Bill Anderson, Chairman of the Board of Management of Bayer AG: International cooperation and economic globalization are powerful engines of world development. Bayer is honored to participate in the Fair for the seventh consecutive year to focus on breakthrough innovations. Currently, about one-tenth of the world's population is facing hunger, and many difficult diseases still threaten people's lives. Bayer, with its ambitious mission of “Sharing Health, Ending Hunger”, is always committed to bringing transformative innovations in the field of health and nutrition to all of mankind. China plays a pivotal role in this mission. The Bayer team looks forward to further deepening and expanding cooperation with the government, organizations and other local partners to better serve Chinese consumers, and to work together to create change and achieve the mission.
Wu Dongming, Chief Executive Officer of DHL Express China: The Fair demonstrates China's determination and confidence in adhering to a high level of opening up to the outside world, constructing a new pattern of development and realizing high-quality development, which not only plays an important role in safeguarding and promoting economic globalization and trade liberalization, but also benefits foreign enterprises developing in China. China has always been one of the most important markets for DHL Express in the world, and the company is looking forward to running in both directions with the Chinese market, continuously investing in infrastructure, capacity, routes, etc., and expanding and deepening the cooperation with domestic enterprises, escorting Chinese enterprises on their way to the sea with higher-quality international logistics services.
Jun Xia, Managing Partner of Ernst & Young Central China: The Fair is a major initiative of the Chinese government to firmly support trade liberalization and economic globalization, and to proactively open its market to the world. This event strengthens international economic cooperation and provides an excellent opportunity for importing enterprises to directly contact China's huge market in order to showcase their products and services, establish contacts with potential customers, and understand the demand characteristics and trends of the Chinese market, so as to adjust their market strategies in a targeted manner. The Chinese market has always had great potential. Next, EY will continue to play its professional advantages to serve the country's strategy of opening up and institutional innovation, promote the sound development of the capital market, and empower the digital transformation and upgrading and internationalization of enterprises, especially assisting Chinese enterprises to be more stable and farther away from the sea, and smoothly integrate into the upgrading of the international value chain and the upgrading of the innovation industry chain.
Rio Tinto Group Chief Commercial Officer Bartels: China is not only Rio Tinto's largest market and the location of its largest shareholder, but also increasingly an important source of goods and services for the company's global operations. At this year's Expo, Rio Tinto is showcasing for the first time in China its Simandou mine project in the south-eastern part of the Republic of Guinea. Together with its Chinese partners, Rio Tinto is helping to meet the growing demand for high-grade, low-impurity iron ore in the context of the search for carbon emission reductions in the iron and steel industry, and to promote the modernization process in Guinea and the surrounding region. A number of Chinese companies are now extensively involved in the construction of infrastructure and procurement of key equipment and services for the Simandou project. Such a partnership creates a cooperative environment for sharing knowledge, resources and experience, enabling all parties to fully utilize each other's strengths and laying a solid foundation for the success of the project.