From November 5 to 10 this year, Shanghai hosted a large-scale exhibition event, the China International Import Expo (CIIE), for the sixth time. The event brought together participants from more than 150 countries, regions and international organizations and attracted more than 3400 exhibitors and 394,000 trade visitors. The importance of the Expo for China and the world is evidenced by the fact that it is held under the patronage of the President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping.
Belarus takes part in the CIIE every year. This time, more than 70 Belarusian enterprises and organizations demonstrated their best products, achievements and developments that are promising for promotion to the Chinese market within the framework of the National Exposition of the Republic of Belarus, organized by the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Belinterexpo Exhibition Unitary Enterprise of the BelCCI.
The exposition occupied a large-scale country pavilion, and representatives of enterprises were present at some commercial pavilions.
The country pavilion
The Belarusian country pavilion was styled as the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus. It offered performances by opera soloists and musicians of the Bolshoi orchestra. Besides, the stage turned into a light-lit podium for a show of fashion linen and natural fur collections made by the organizations of the Belarusian light industry concern Bellegprom and the Belarusian National Union of Consumer Societies Belkoopsoyuz. Visitors were greeted by holograms of young people in Belarusian national costumes.
From the very first day and every day throughout the entire period of the exhibition, the Days of the Regions of Belarus were held in the country pavilion with the invitation of Chinese partners and provinces – sister cities of the Belarusian regions and the capital. All regions held their programs featuring presentations and tastings of products, B2B meetings and negotiations.
Food industry potential on display
More than 30 companies, including well-known enterprises that are part of the Belgospishcheprom and Brestmyasomolprom food and meat concerns, presented their line-ups of popular products in the Food and Agricultural Products pavilion. They showcased a variety of Belarusian delicacies, including cheeses, milk, glazed curds, ice cream, meat products, chocolate, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Especially for the Chinese market, Belarusian enterprises had prepared a line of lactose-free dairy products, dry and whole milk
products.
Visitors could appreciate high-quality meat products, including sausage delicacies and smoked meats, beef and pork products, and novelties from Mogilev and Brest meat processing plants.
Sweet lovers were pleased with the variety of confectionery products: chocolate, caramel, marmalade and flour delicacies.
The pavilion ran presentations, tastings of products, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and master classes on cooking Belarusian national dishes by famous chef Anton Kalenik, who is among the top 200 best chefs in the world, and is the first chef in the CIS to join the Worlds Master Chefs Society.
The interest in Belarusian cuisine was so great that while about 1000 tastings of national dishes were organized on the opening day of the exhibition, this figure more than tripled in the following days. Particularly interested chef colleagues from other countries turned to the Belarusian Chef de Partie for recipes
and advice.
From light industry to innovations
R&D and innovative developments for the petrochemical and other industries were on view in the High-Tech Equipment and Information Technologies pavilion. Domestic petrochemical enterprises demonstrated samples of synthetic yarns, nitrogen fertilizers, industrial chemicals, and more. The industrial potential of Belarus was presented at the exhibition in Shanghai by the Research and Production Holding of Precision Engineering "Planar", JSC "Gomselmash" and the Byelorussian Steel
Works.
The Consumer Goods pavilion showcased textile products, including fur and linen goods. Collections from the Belarusian President's merchandise store, featuring sweaters, hoodies and sweatshirts with Aleksandr Lukashenko's quotes, were featured on the Chinese market for the first time.
Belarus demonstrated its exchange, customs, educational and logistics services, the latest developments of its educational and scientific institutions, as well as the potential of the country's free economic zones in the Trade in Services pavilion.
The organizations of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus had selected the best of their scientific developments that Chinese partners might find interesting to bring at the Expo. The traditional joint stand presented educational services and about 40 innovative developments, including artificial emeralds, technology for microelectronics, graphene-containing material and products based on it, technology for applying composite nanocoatings, heat-resistant materials, and the technology to produce dry bacterial leaven.
A business platform
Alongside the presentation of the exponents' products and developments, the exposition featured a wide business program. In particular, the Belarus-Shanghai business forum was held on November 3, prior to the opening of the Belarusian exposition at the CIIE. It was organized by the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Shanghai Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT Shanghai).
The business forum was opened by the Chairman of the CCPIT Shanghai, Zhou Minhao, the Deputy Chairman of the BelCCI, Denis Meleshkin, Consul General of the Republic of Belarus in Shanghai, Andrei Andreev. The speakers welcomed the participants and noted the significant results of the Belarus-China interaction, emphasized the importance of bilateral business events, as well as participation in international exhibitions for strengthening partnerships, fulfilling the potential of bilateral economic cooperation, expanding trade relations.
In his address, Denis Meleshkin noted the importance of raising the status of the Belarus-China bilateral relations to the comprehensive strategic partnership level, which was jointly announced by the leaders of the two countries. "The effective implementation of the goals set for us will help bring bilateral relations to a qualitatively new level, and we, as business support institutions, will make every effort on our part to create favorable conditions for building a dialogue between the business communities of Belarus and China," the Deputy Chairman of the BelCCI assured.
After the welcoming speeches, the forum participants were presented with the opportunities offered by China's free trade zones, the investment potential of various sectors of the Belarusian economy, the advantages of doing business in the country and promising joint projects, the tools offered by the BelCCI and the Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange for establishing bilateral business contacts and developing trade relations between Belarus and China, as well as some success stories of bilateral business interaction.
In addition, the event presented the export opportunities of Belarusian companies participating in the forum and the national exposition. Business negotiations were held during the event.
As part of the business program, representatives from Belarus visited the Totole Food ltd factory, a subsidiary of the Swiss corporation Nestle. The company produces various food products, including confectionery.
Belarusian participants studied production processes and technologies in the field of confectionery manufacturing in China and exchanged experience with colleagues.
Some outcomes
During the exhibition, a significant number of cooperation documents were signed – both between enterprises and between the regions of Belarus and China.
Enterprises of the Belgospischeprom concern signed seven documents totaling more than 6 million US dollars.
Agreements totaling 85 million US dollars were concluded as part of the Day of the Gomel Region.
The signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee and representatives of the city of Qingdao (Shandong Province) providing for the creation of an industrial park was also an important outcome. At the exhibition, representatives of the Brest Region and Anhui Province signed an action plan for the development of trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation for the period from 2023 to 2025. An agreement was also signed to establish sister city relations between the city of Dunhuang, Gansu Province, and the Novogrudok District of the Grodno Region. In Liaoning Province (China), it is planned to launch ice cream production in cooperation with an enterprise from Slutsk. In addition, there is interest from Chinese investors in the construction of a restaurant in Mogilev.
All the elements mentioned, such as interesting exhibits, creative performances, taste impressions, made the Belarusian exposition in China a bright event. Participation once again proved that the China International Import Expo is not just an exhibition, but a successful combination of diplomacy, economics, culture, art and taste, which will remain in the memory of guests forever.
The BelCCI and Belinterexpo will be glad to see Belarusian enterprises participating in the National Exposition at the seventh CIIE in Shanghai next year.
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