(Yicai Global) Sept. 28 -- International sporting goods retailers such as Nike and Decathlon have formed a special committee for the sports industry ahead of the third China International Import Expo to promote joint development.

California-based Skechers and Japan's Yonex also joined the committee that functions under the exhibitor alliance, the expo bureau wrote in a press release about the opening ceremony in Shanghai yesterday. Representatives from the Asian Electronic Sports Federation and the US National Basketball Association were present.

The CIIE will be held in less than 40 days in Shanghai with an enlarged exhibition area for the business section. This year, the expo will showcase new categories of products such as public health and anti-epidemic equipment, smart transportation, energy conservation, and sporting goods.

The sports retail industry is looking to integrate resources to play a higher social role and achieve bigger economic value while calling on companies across all sectors to join the event to share opportunities in the Chinese market, said Etienne Callafe, senior vice president of Decathlon China.

Establishing committees encourages other outstanding companies to participate in the expo to explore cooperation with firms from other fields such as medical care, education, and tourism, said Liu Fuxue, deputy director of the CIIE bureau.

The expo alliance had 142 corporate members from 23 countries and regions as of July. The group has formed special committees in different areas such as public health and epidemic prevention, dairy industry, industrial digitization, and smart supply chain management.

Editor: Emmi Laine