Massive media coverage underscores expo's significance

Since its inauguration in 2018, the annual China International Import Expo (CIIE) has fostered open cooperation, boosted procurement, investment and people-to-people exchanges worldwide while making positive contributions to the building of a new development pattern in China.

Over the past six years, with increasingly expanded fields and scale, the expo has significantly enhanced its communication influence worldwide, said Sun Chenghai, deputy director-general of the CIIE Bureau.

According to the Report on the Media Coverage and Influence of the sixth CIIE released on Tuesday in Shanghai, the expo has surpassed 10 billion online hits, while news apps and video portals published more than 2 million pieces of related information. "High-level opening-up", "Chinese market", "win-win cooperation" and "Hongqiao Forum" have become the most popular terms through which people from various walks of life have expressed their confidence in China's economic development.

As a high-standard, high-quality and high-level economic and trade event, the sixth CIIE generated extensive media coverage, strong influence and positive social feedback both at home and abroad, and the report credits five main characteristics.

First, the "My CIIE Story" activity attracted a great deal of media coverage, with more than 16,000 CIIE stories reported by Chinese and overseas media outlets, with accumulated exposure of around 1.5 billion hits. They include 3.73 million hits contributed by central media outlets such as CCTV and Xinhua News Agency apps, and about 600 million hits by short-video sharing platform Douyin, the Chinese version of Tik-Tok, and microblogging platform Sina Weibo.

Second, in-depth reporting by mainstream media raised social confidence and enhanced the influence of the event. Central media outlets fully displayed the wide range of roles played by the CIIE by focusing on topics such as high-level opening-up and high-quality development.

Third, reporting by a host of overseas media outlets underscored the sixth CIIE's enhanced international influence. Held offline, it attracted 3,220 domestic and foreign journalists from 476 media organizations in 89 countries and regions. Also, during the first half of 2023, the event's organizers held promotional meetings in 30-plus countries and regions.

Fourth, the wide range of activities held during the event formed a joint force of communication. The Hongqiao Forum, for example, organized 22 subforums, with the number of total participants hitting a record of more than 8,000. Moreover, the sixth CIIE held 122 supporting activities, including contract-signing ceremonies, investment promotions and research release conferences. It also featured a booth tour for the first time, attracting more than 160 senior executives from nearly 100 multinational enterprises.

Fifth, participating exhibitors drew a lot of attention. A total of 3,486 enterprises from 128 countries and regions were featured, including 289 Fortune Global 500 and industry-leading companies, showcasing 442 new products, new technologies and new services. Among the six exhibition areas of the CIIE, those set up for intelligent industry and information technology, consumer goods, and food and agricultural products were the most popular, according to the communication influence index.

The report also revealed the top 10 most reported exhibitors in terms of comprehensive media coverage and influence, with L'Oreal Group leading the way, and the top 10 most reported trade missions, with Shanghai topping the list.

As for cultural exchanges, related exhibition areas totaled 30,000 square meters in 2023, with a record number of exhibition booths. Areas devoted to displaying time-honored Chinese brands, tourist spots and intangible cultural heritage items garnered the most attention.

Bank of China was rated as the most reported CIIE partner, followed by Bank of Communications and Wuliangye Group.

"This year, standing at a new starting point, we will redouble efforts to further improve CIIE's display platform function to form a new development paradigm, give full play to its role as a platform to promote high-standard opening-up, and better provide international public goods and services that can be shared by the world," Sun said at the launch ceremony of the report.

During the ceremony, a batch of 23 companies signed up for the business exhibition of the seventh CIIE, with total exhibition area exceeding 13,000 sq m. Among them are big names such as PepsiCo, Bayer, Tesla, 3M, Tempur, GSK and Haleon.

The total number of exhibitors signing up for the annual event this year has reached more than 300 now, said the event organizers.

Communication overview and features

As a high-standard, high-quality and high-level global economic and trade fair, the sixth CIIE has drawn much attention, won domestic and overseas praise and had prominent influence.

The CIIE had a louder voice with lively stories.

The CIIE enhanced social confidence and won "high evaluation" from mainstream media.

The extensive promotion of the CIIE increased its international influence.

The CIIE abounded in diverse activities and advanced opening-up and cooperation.

The CIIE focused on exhibitors and exhibits and its communication efficiency was raised.

By Hao Nan