The second China International Import Expo (CIIE) will be carried out on a larger scale and a higher level, aiming for better quality and stronger innovation results, Shanghai Mayor Ying Yong said at a news conference on the city’s core competitiveness on July 2.

Scheduled to be held in Shanghai from Nov 5 to 10, this year’s CIIE will see its exhibition area expanded to 300,000 square meters from 270,000 sq m last year, said Ying. Similar to the first CIIE, exhibitions at the country pavilion, business exhibitions and international economic forum will be the three key aspects of the CIIE.

So far, more than 50 countries have confirmed their presence at the country exhibition pavilion. While 200 Fortune 500 companies took part in last year’s show, the number will increase to at least 250 this year.

According to Ying, the municipal government of Shanghai will make more efforts to exert CIIE’s impact in a wider area. With this expo, the city will build the Hongqiao area - where the CIIE exhibition hall is located - into an international open hub serving as a central business area and a new platform for international trade.

Meanwhile, the Hongqiao area will be built into a demonstration and trading center for bonded import goods. Therefore, more exhibits will be turned into commercial goods. Quality products and services from all over the world will be further facilitated to enter the Chinese market, he said.

More importantly, Shanghai will be built into an import and export products distribution center that connects the rest of the Yangtze River Delta region, serve the whole country and sees its impact radiating across the entire Asia-Pacific region, added Ying.