The Hongqiao International Economic and Trade Forum directly serves the overall objectives of the China International Import Expo. It focuses on the new trends and new changes in economic development at home and abroad, reflects new philosophies derived from inclusive development, aims at promoting economic globalization that is open, inclusive, comprehensively-beneficial, balanced and win-win, building an open world economy, and prompting global trade growth.

At the Forum, heads of states, entrepreneurs, scholars will discuss new paths for economic globalization, trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, share their knowledge and views on the new economy and new forms of business, and propose suggestions on international trade development in the new era.

The First Hongqiao International Economic and Trade Forum consists of an opening ceremony, which is the opening ceremony for the First China International Import Expo as well as the three parallel sessions and the Hongqiao International Business Media and Think Tank Forum.

The theme of the Forum is “spurring new vitality of global trade, creating an open and win-win scenario”; the three parallel sessions will respectively focus on the topics of “trade and opening”, “trade and innovation”, and “trade and investment”. Discussions will focus on the promotion of trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, the construction of an open world economy, and the boosting of trade innovation growth with trade in services, the digital economy and e-commerce. Moreover, the three parallel sessions will strive to discover new engines for growth, and accelerate interactions across trade and investment, as well as sustainable development.

Leaders from China and other countries and regions will attend the Opening Ceremony, which is going to be held on the morning of November 5. Additionally, three parallel forums and the Hongqiao International Business Media and Think Tank Forum will be held on the afternoon of November 5 simultaneously. Three parallel sessions are respectively composed of “Guest Speeches” and “Panel Discussions.” The former will invite politicians from home and abroad to deliver speeches, and the latter will specially invite guests including leaders from International Organizations, entrepreneurs and academics to discuss issues on the topics of the parallel sessions and the most-concerned problems in the international economy and trade. The sessions will end with a “Q&A,” inviting the audience to raise questions and make comments.

The Hongqiao International Business Media and Think Tank Forum will be held under the theme of "Build and Communicate an Open World Economy". This will be broken down into two subjects for discussions: "The Role of Media and Think Tanks in an Open World Economy" and "An Open China and the Development of the World". The Hongqiao International Business Media and Think Tank Forum will gather together high-ranking executives from world-renowned business media, senior editors, media representatives from CIIE exhibitor countries, and celebrated entrepreneurs from home and abroad. Press and cultural affairs officials from relevant countries, foreign diplomats in China, as well as experts and scholars from selected think tanks will also be invited to the forum.

We sincerely welcome political leaders, entrepreneurs, scholars and members of the Medias; and we look forward to working with all parties to develop the Forum into a great success. We will strive to build the Hongqiao International Economic and Trade Forum as a new open platform facilitating high-level, win-win, open cooperation, and as a high-end platform for dialog for international politicians and industrial and academic circles to discuss the major issues of the global economy and trade.