A promotional event for the fifth China International Import Expo was recently held online to attract Spanish businesses.

Spain has been an important participant in the expo since the inaugural edition in 2018, and is home to many major brands and high-quality products in such sectors as agriculture, cosmetics, fashion and machinery, said Liu Fuxue, deputy director-general of the CIIE Bureau.

Chang Hexi, economic and commercial counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Spain, said he hopes Spanish companies can through the CIIE better understand the Chinese market, tap the myriad opportunities in China and expand cooperation in fields including digital economy, green energy and biomedicine.

Spanish products are competitive in the international market and the manufacturers are optimistic about their growth potential in China, according to Pablo Lopez Gil, director-general of the Leading Brands of Spain Forum. He added that the alliance will encourage its member companies to attend the fifth CIIE, which is seen as a great opportunity to improve brand visibility, showcase products and find partners.

Miren Ausin, director of international projection service at the government of Navarra, Spain, said her country will enhance cooperation with China in sectors including automobile, food chain, clean energy and healthcare.

During the fourth CIIE last year, about 60 Spanish exhibitors, including fast fashion group Inditex, occupied nearly 4,500 square meters of exhibition space and displayed a variety of specialties such as wine and ham.

By Zhao Luyang