(Yicai) July 25 -- A total of 170 companies and 27 institutions that attended all seven previous editions of the China International Import Expo have already signed up to participate in this year's event, which will run from Nov. 5 to 10, according to the organizer.

The eighth CIIE will have an area of over 330,000 square meters and host 60 overseas exhibition groups from 40 countries and regions, with the number of companies from Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, and Peru reaching a historic high, Wu Zhengping, deputy director of the CIIE Bureau National Exhibition and Convention Center Shanghai, said at a press conference today.

The invitation and confirmation process for the Country Exhibition has been largely completed, with over 50 countries and international organizations confirming their participation, Wu noted. Among them, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates will serve as guest countries, while Kyrgyzstan will participate for the first time.

This year's CIIE will introduce a new theme focused on cooperation among friendly cities and create unique joint exhibition booths to provide a comprehensive display platform for domestic and international sister cities, he added.

Wu also revealed that this year's business exhibition will feature four major innovations. The first is a special zone for products from the least developed countries an upgraded section for African products to help enterprises from that region take advantage of zero-tariff benefits when entering the Chinese market.

The second is the expansion of the cooperation with foreign provinces and cities, with Saskatchewan in Canada and Almaty in Kazakhstan participating for the first time.

The third point is strengthening the CIIE's roles as a global launch site for new products, a preferred destination for cutting-edge technologies, and a premier place for innovative services, with dedicated launch channels and functional zones planned to support exhibitors in maximizing the effectiveness of live broadcasting.

The fourth is creating a cross-border e-commerce selection platform featuring specialized promotional activities to enhance the exhibition experience of participating enterprises.

Editor: Futura Costaglione