Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of global exhibitors attending the ongoing fourth China International Import Expo (CIIE) exceeded that of the previous edition.

The CIIE has brought tangible benefits to us, foreign companies who had attended the expo before told Xinhua in Shanghai.

The fair attracted nearly 3,000 companies from 127 countries and regions this year, including 33 least developed countries.

It has become a major platform for enterprises from either developed, developing, or underdeveloped countries to boost exports to the market with a population of over 1.4 billion.