(Yicai Global) Oct. 25 -- The Philippine government and the country's companies look forward to the forthcoming first China International Import Expo, and hope to use it to bring more high-quality national produce to Chinese consumers, said Ramon M. Lopez, the country's trade and industry secretary.

The CIIE has sent a clear signal to the world that China will continue to open and firmly support economic globalization, he added, state Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday. 

About 40 Philippine companies will take part in the expo with the exhibits covering food and agricultural and handicrafts and textiles, per statistics by the country's trade department.

China is one of the major export destinations for the country's tropical fruit, with about 900,000 tons of it imported last year in the form of pineapples, mangos, coconuts and bananas. Tropical fruits and their processed products will remain one of the Philippine highlights at the CIIE.

The nation is committed to developing its agricultural processing industry and will bring high-quality dried mango to China for its promotion, while the furniture and clothing products it will showcase also have competitive advantages, the minister said.

Philippine companies will make full use of this opportunity, convinced their products will find favor with Chinese consumers.

Philippine firms will prepare for the competition, seize the opportunity and provide products of the highest quality to satisfy demand in the Chinese market, which is open to the whole world, Lopez said.

Apart from participating in relevant exhibitions, Lopez will also lead a delegation of Philippine government officials and figures from the business sector to promote the Philippines to Chinese companies, Lopez added.

The delegation will meet with its peers from the Chinese government and talk with local entrepreneurs as well. The CIIE is not only a place to find potential buyers for highly-qualified Philippine goods, but also a perfect opportunity to look for possible investors for the country.

CIIE, pitching itself as the first global exhibition themed on imports, will be significant for China and the whole world's economies, he said, and greatly encourages the Philippines. The country highly appreciates the Chinese government's efforts in this regard.

The recent development of economic cooperation and commerce between China and the Philippines has been in a rapid and upward trend. The turnover in bilateral trade between the pair last year reached USD51.3 billion, per Chinese statistics. 

China has grown into the Philippines' largest trading partner as well as its biggest source of imports and its fourth-largest export destination.

Editor: Ben Armour