On June 20 local time, a roundtable was held in Izmir, Türkiye, for the upcoming eighth China International Import Expo (CIIE), attracting over 70 participants from the Aegean Exporters' Associations (EIB) that specialize in a number of food products, such as dried fruits, oil seeds and animal products, as well as other local organizations and companies. Türkiye has participated in all seven past editions of the CIIE.

Dou Aidong, counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Türkiye, gives a speech.

Dou Aidong, counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Türkiye, said in his speech that China and Türkiye, both major developing and emerging economies, should tap into their huge potential to step up cooperation and improve the structure of bilateral trade. China is ready to expand the range of products it imports from Türkiye and Türkiye has participated in all seven past editions of the CIIE. Dou also expressed the hope that the EIB will continue to bring industrial leaders and promising small and medium-sized enterprises to the event this year, so that they can better understand and further explore the Chinese market while also showcasing the special charm of Turkish products to Chinese buyers.

Li Guoqing, deputy director-general of the CIIE Bureau, gives a speech.

Li Guoqing, deputy director-general of the CIIE Bureau, emphasized that the CIIE, as the world's first national-level import-focused expo, has been held successfully for seven years, showing special strengths in government-enterprise interaction, media coverage, and business matchmaking. Preparations for the upcoming eighth CIIE are currently seeing smooth progress, with over 300,000 square meters of exhibition space in the Corporate Pavilion already booked. The expo will feature a wide variety of supporting measures to help participants, including Turkish enterprises, secure more opportunities. Türkiye, with a long-lasting friendship with China, has been a major participating country at the CIIE and China expects more premium Turkish products and technologies, as well as more Turkish visitors, to come to the expo and explore the vast Chinese market, thus helping to deepen cooperation between the two countries in trade, investment, tourism, agriculture and other sectors.

According to Jak Eskinazi, coordinator president of the EIB, his organization values the Chinese market and the CIIE highly and has been organizing the participation of Turkish exhibitors since 2019. This year, it will continue to bring top-quality figs, olives and other agricultural products to the event, with organic foods, cosmetics, and logistics companies also joining the delegation to better meet demand and seize valuable opportunities within the Chinese market.

Hou Qian, chairperson of ICBC Türkiye Yatırım Menkul Değerler A.Ş., noted that ICBC Türkiye has been facilitating in-depth cooperation between China and Türkiye within the frameworks of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Trans-Caspian East-West-Middle Corridor Initiative, helping Chinese and Turkish companies build ties and share benefits. The bank encourages and will continue to support Turkish companies' participation in the CIIE, giving these companies the opportunity to explore the Chinese market and find buyers, thus contributing to the continued success of the expo in the years to come.

Mehmet Ali Işık, chairman of Işık Tarım and president of the Aegean Dried Fruit and Products Exporters' Association, said that China is a major market for Turkish exports and the CIIE has been an important platform for Turkish companies' expansion within China. Present at five different editions of the CIIE, he affirmed that participation in the expo has been highly fruitful and that the CIIE is the most impressive event he has attended during his 35-year experience of participating in all kinds of fairs worldwide. Backed by the Chinese government, the CIIE offers business opportunities to companies from all over the world and he encourages more Turkish companies to participate and enter the Chinese market for a better future.

At the roundtable, the CIIE Bureau and the EIB signed a memorandum of cooperation for the upcoming eighth CIIE.

The event was hosted jointly by the CIIE Bureau, the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), and the EIB, with support from the Chinese Embassy in Türkiye and ICBC Türkiye, and assistance from Bank of China Türkiye A.Ş. 

Before the roundtable, the CIIE working team had a meeting with the EIB to answer questions. While in Türkiye, the team also visited the Turkish Shipowners' Association to have in-depth exchanges regarding participation in the eighth CIIE. Turkish companies and organizations widely acknowledged the key role of the CIIE in building trade ties between the two countries, affirming China as a major target market for Turkish companies in the food industries and other sectors, and reiterated commitment to promoting participation. 

By Li Hanmeng