More than 670 exhibitors from 85 countries, regions and international organizations are in Beijing this week for the fourth China International Supply Chain Expo. It opened on Monday, June 22, under the theme “Connecting the World for a Shared Future,” and closes on Friday.
One thing is new this year. A dedicated Artificial Intelligence exhibition zone has been added for the first time. Xinhua photographs from opening day show visitors trying on AI glasses and watching robots fight in the digital technology area, while foreign delegations toured the booth of China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation.
Protectionism as the backdrop
Organizers are pitching the expo as a counterweight to trade barriers. Rising protectionism and fragmented supply chains have made international trade harder to conduct, and China is presenting the event as a forum for openness, innovation and joint work. It bills itself as the world’s first national-level expo devoted to supply chains.
China’s economy grew 5 percent in the first quarter of 2026. Chinese officials point to the country’s industrial base, its large consumer market, advances in frontier technologies and an improving business climate as the reasons it can act as an anchor for global growth.
What visitors said
Zeinelgabdin Yer-Sagyn of Kazakhstan’s trade ministry said China has long been his country’s primary trading partner. Hosting the expo, he said, “will further consolidate this status and enhance cooperation between China and Kazakhstan in areas such as finance and logistics.”
Egypt came looking for direct links between its companies and Chinese partners. Khaled Melad Rezek, minister plenipotentiary at the Egyptian Embassy in China, said the expo should turn up chances for localized manufacturing and supply chain diversification. He singled out the “cross-industry matchmaking sessions” for attention.
Business executives were upbeat too. Wayne Shi, president of Sanofi Greater China, called the expo a hub for openness and collaboration. Yin Zheng, an executive vice president at Schneider Electric, described it as “a window for global enterprises to connect, cooperate and share innovation.”
Southeast Asian speakers stressed regional ties. Narit Therdsteerasukdi, secretary general of Thailand’s Board of Investment, said the China-ASEAN partnership rests on trust and connectivity. Anindya Novyan Bakrie, chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, urged tighter ASEAN-China integration in EV batteries, renewable energy and food processing. Kho Choon Keng, president of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, pointed to disruptions ranging from geopolitical shocks to the pandemic and climate change, which he said had shown the value of resilience, diversification and trust.
Dianne Tipping, chair of the Export Council of Australia, was at the expo last year as well. “I was totally amazed at the technologies and the innovation — and I am amazed today,” she said, adding that she hopes more Australians will attend next year.
From Europe, Jean-Marie Martino of the CCI Lyon Metropole Saint-Etienne Roanne named clean energy, advanced manufacturing, medical and healthcare, and high-value-added consumption as the sectors where Chinese innovation draws him. Giampaolo Botta, general manager of Spediporto, the Genoa freight forwarders’ association, said Liguria is seeking reliable partners to expand exports. “The Chinese market represents stability and reliability,” he said.
Jennifer Jordan-Saifi, CEO of the Sustainable Markets Initiative, said China’s long-term thinking gives international investors the confidence to back sustainable businesses.
