(Yicai) March 13 -- This year's Appliance and Electronics World Expo has opened in Shanghai with a new 'One Exhibition, Two Venues' format that makes it easier for foreign exhibitors to take part through a new visa-free business zone in the city.

The Shanghai Eastern Hub International Business Cooperation Zone offers visa-free entry for foreign exhibitors, who only need to present their exhibition invitation registration documents to enter, Zhao Yugang, deputy director of the zone's administration bureau, told Yicai. The Eastern Hub also offers bonded customs clearance for exhibits, he said.

The AWE 2026, themed 'Smart Artificial Intelligence, Smarter Future,' will be held simultaneously at the Shanghai New International Expo Center and at a pavilion in the Eastern Hub from yesterday to March 15.

“We came straight to the exhibition hall after getting off the plane, no Chinese visa required,” two foreign exhibitors told Yicai yesterday.

For major events such as consumer electronics expos, which draw large numbers of domestic and international participants and involve a wide range of exhibits, the Eastern Hub will continue improving entry and exit procedures for both people and goods, providing all-around support for big exhibitions, Zhao said.

At this year’s AWE, the two venues serve different thematic roles. The Shanghai New International Expo Centre, the usual venue near the city center, is mainly for ‘AI Plus’ ecosystem products, highlighting how artificial intelligence is transforming the home appliance and consumer electronics industries. The Eastern Hub venue near Shanghai Pudong International Airport is showcasing the latest progress in advanced consumer electronics technologies in the AI era.

Iluvatar CoreX Semiconductor is exhibiting three main product lines covering full-scenario AI model training, inference, and edge deployment, at the Eastern Hub pavilion, a staff member at the Chinese developer of graphic processing units told Yicai.

"The huge international stage of the AWE offers the best opportunity for us to showcase our full-stack AI commercial closed-loop system and full-modal ecosystem," said Yan Yijun, vice president of MiniMax Group. The Chinese AI startup is presenting its latest self-developed models and product portfolio at its booth at the Eastern Hub pavilion.

Both Iluvatar CoreX and MiniMax went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in January.

Several companies in embodied intelligence are also unveiling new products at the Eastern Hub venue. For example, the National and Local Co-Built Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center, a research and development base for key technologies for humanoid robots and embodied intelligence in Pudong, has brought along its Linglong-h general-purpose upper-body platform designed for light-load data collection and logistics sorting.

The Eastern Hub pavilion will host more than 20 forums and related events during the AWE, said Xu Dongsheng, vice chairman of the China Household Electrical Appliances Association. Topics will include smart glasses and virtual reality devices, smart devices and semiconductors, ultra-high-definition audiovisual products, electronic circuits, and automotive chips, along with discussions on supply-chain collaboration and international trade, investment, and financing, he said.

Moreover, nine tech pioneers, including JD.Com's 3D printing unit and Xiaomi, will hold new product launch events at the Eastern Hub venue during the expo, Xu added.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Futura Costaglione