At a Crossroads: ASEAN and the Future of Regional Cooperation
Overcoming the Cockroaches: Communicating in Private Credit Today
Takeaways from CIIE 2025: Visibility Is Easy. Impact Takes Work
November 2025
The 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE) wrapped up in Shanghai this week, once again reinforcing its role as the country’s premier foreign trade forum and leading commercial showcase for China’s market-opening narrative.
This year’s event was on a new scale. Organisers reported roughly 4,108 participating enterprises and a record intended deal value of US$83.49 billion, alongside hundreds of trade delegations and a year-on-year rise in registered professional visitors.
Growing attendance at the event, fuelled by demand for global consumer goods from food and drink to medical products and technology, comes amid heightened confidence between global manufacturers and Chinese buyers. Premier Li Qiang reaffirmed China’s commitment to global free trade, while exhibitors noted rising interest in specialty and value-added products.
With everyone from Tesla to Volkswagen and Lululemon in attendance, an estimated 920,000 accredited visitors explored new technologies and innovations, with many pledging to invest further in China to meet growing consumer demand. Against a backdrop of the temporary suspension of US-China tariffs, the event came amid a more positive global outlook, with the focus squarely on supporting global trade.
With our team on the ground, we observed several key trends this year:
- Scale and diversity: The expo registered its largest exhibitor base to date, with broader participation from both developed and developing markets and dozens of national trade missions — signalling continued global interest in China as a demand centre.
- Product and tech debut zone: Many global and regional product premieres were showcased — from AI hearing aids and autonomous EVs to specialty foods and green tech — highlighting CIIE’s increasing focus on innovation-driven, higher-value product offerings.
- Shift toward consumer-facing engagement: Exhibitors increasingly used live-streaming, tasting booths, and experience zones to engage audiences directly from the show floor. These activities mirror China’s pivot towards a consumption-driven growth model, where digital engagement and effective storytelling are as critical to success as procurement meetings.
- Political and commercial overlay: The event remains both a trade platform and a stage for policy announcements on market access and import promotion — useful for signalling government priorities on business and growth, yet also exposing exhibitors to sensitive political and PR considerations.
All being said, is CIIE a good platform for MNCs and national delegations?
Short answer: Yes — but conditionally.
For multinationals and delegations focused on market entry, buyer-level procurement, brand building, and government engagement, CIIE offers concentrated visibility. However, for those seeking quick sales or ROI without groundwork, the scale of the event can feel overwhelming.
As a strategic communications and public affairs consultancy with deep Greater China expertise, Sandpiper helps companies turn their CIIE participation into measurable impact. From crafting China-specific messaging and multimedia content, to stakeholder mapping, media training, and post-event follow-up, our role as communicators is to ensure that visibility translates into results.
Here are five of our top suggestions for effective engagement at CIIE:
- Set 2–3 clear objectives — whether that’s exploring new procurement leads, securing strategic partners, or engaging with policy contacts. Then align your booth design and team deployment accordingly.
- Pre-book meetings with buyers, sub-delegations, and local distributors; leverage trade mission lists early.
- Localise messaging — Mandarin collateral, China-specific use cases, Chinese-speaking team, and regulatory/compliance FAQs ready to go.
- Leverage national pavilions and delegations for introductions to procurement contacts.
- Plan rigorous follow-up — post-expo outreach to communicate pilot orders and milestones, capture intent while fresh, and sustain publicity momentum.
Bottom line: CIIE remains a potent platform for market access and signalling — high reward for strategic, well-resourced participants, and an absolute must for MNCs committed to the China market long-term. Careful preparation, a clear strategy, and a dedicated, in-country support team are essential to communicating value and maximising engagement at all stages of CIIE – before, during, and after the event.
Related news & insights:
