A greater presence of U.S. exhibitors at the recently-concluded second China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai showed their strong desire to tap into the Chinese market and expand cooperation efforts.

Although it has only been a little over two weeks since the end of the second edition of China's largest import expo, preparations for next year's event has already begun, with a delegation from the CIIE Bureau, one of the event organizers, embarking on a roadshow in New York City, United States, on Nov. 25 to attract local businesses.

Led by Liu Fuxue, deputy director general of the China International Import Expo Bureau, the delegation extended a warm welcome and handed out invitations to 100 business representatives for the 2020 event scheduled to be held again in Shanghai next November.

During his speech at the roadshow, Liu said that nearly 200 U.S. enterprises showed great enthusiasm for the CIIE this year by displaying their products and services in an exhibition area measuring approximately 50,000 square meters, the largest by any country at the CIIE.

Noting the results achieved by U.S. exhibitors in the first and second editions of the import expo, Liu hailed the CIIE as an efficient platform for foreign enterprises to understand and expand their presence in the Chinese market.

He hopes that American enterprises can seize the opportunity to actively participate in the expo and share the dividends of China's economic development.

Gu Chunfang, commercial counselor for the Consulate General of China in New York, said that China attaches great importance to the role of imports in economic development and will expand imports of high-quality goods and services, including those from the U.S..

The second CIIE won praise from many U.S. state governments and business communities which expressed their desire to deepen cooperation with China through the CIIE, said Xu Chen, chairman of the China General Chamber of Commerce-USA.

To date, over 40 U.S. companies have already signed up for next year's import expo.

The second CIIE concluded with U.S.$71.13 billion worth of tentative deals reached for one-year purchases of goods and services, a sharp rise as compared to last year.

More than 3,800 enterprises from 181 countries, regions and international organizations participated in this year's expo. Launched in 2018, the CIIE is the world's first import-themed national-level expo.