A group photo of attending representatives of the event. [Photo/CIIE Bureau]

Representatives from 16 world-renowned medical companies, all members of the medical devices special committee of the CIIE Enterprise Alliance, recently went on a tour of Hainan province to deepen exchange and cooperation with local businesses.

This was the first out-of-Shanghai tour made by the special committee, which consisted of major pharmaceutical companies including Merck, Takeda, Sanofi, Ogalon, Bayer, and Johnson & Johnson.

The tour included visits to Hainan's provincial capital Haikou and the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, and a symposium involving local governments, enterprises and medical institutions. Hainan welcomes more international pharmaceutical and medical device exhibitors of the CIIE to share the new opportunities of the Free Trade Port and achieve bigger business development together, said Liu Xiaoming, governor of Hainan province.

According to Liu, the Hainan Free Trade Port has become a new highland for China's opening-up and a hot spot for global investors.

Liu Fuxue, deputy director-general of the CIIE Bureau, said that the medical equipment and healthcare products exhibition area has attracted many of the world's leading companies since the first edition of the expo.

The CIIE is willing to actively provide a platform for Hainan province and exhibitors to deepen exchanges and cooperation, he added.

According to Liu, the CIIE Bureau official, more than 360,000 square meters of business exhibition area at the 6th CIIE, which will take place from Nov 5 to 11 in Shanghai, has already been booked. The number of Fortune Global 500 companies and industry-leading companies attending this year's expo has also exceeded that of last year. In addition, many chief executive officers of multinational companies have confirmed their attendance at the sixth CIIE, he added.

By Zhao Guangmei