Editor's Note: The fifth China International Import Expo will open in less than a month. The "My CIIE Story" activity, which was launched on June 1, has drawn a great deal of attention and many people have shared their experiences related to the expo. A series of works themed on "grand strategy" and "big market" were published in July and August. In September and October, more stories with the themes of "prominent platform" and "great opportunity" will be released.

Adidas attended the inaugural CIIE in 2018 to showcase our history and vision. Last year, we returned to the fourth expo and set up a booth spanning more than 500 square meters which comprised four sections, including one themed on sustainability.

An Adidas jacket made with recycled ocean plastic is on display. [Photo/CIIE Bureau]

During the fourth CIIE, we exhibited a jacket made with ocean plastic waste. The innovation received a great deal of attention from media and visitors. Someone said it's really cool to put on waste plastic water bottles and contribute to ocean protection.

We also invited Zhang Changning, an Olympic volleyball champion, to design a T-shirt based on the theme "the blue ocean in my mind" to promote ocean protection.

Zhang Changning is invited to the Adidas booth during the fourth CIIE. [Photo/CIIE Bureau]

Sustainability doesn't limit Adidas' pursuit of technology and design. Instead, we have been improving our technology and design to make production more sustainable.

The positive feedback we received at the CIIE has strengthened our determination to further sustainable development in China. We opened our first sustainability-themed flagship store in Shanghai last year and are planning to open more across China. Our sub-3kg carbon footprint sneakers, which appeared at the fourth expo, have also proved popular among Chinese consumers.

The CIIE has offered Adidas more business opportunities and facilitated our communication with partners, dealers, and government representatives. We have learned more about the Chinese market through the expo and Chinese customers have also become more familiar with our technologies and concepts.

Adidas will take part in the fifth CIIE this year and we hope to make more friends.

By Lai Ronggui

The author is the vice-president of Adidas Sport Performance brand communications at Adidas Greater China.