Thirty-five companies pledged their commitment to participating in three consecutive editions of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) by signing a memorandum of understanding at the first Conference of the third CIIE Enterprise Alliance held in Shanghai on July 26, boosting confidence for the future growth of the expo.

The companies making such commitment are all members of the third CIIE Enterprise Alliance, with most of them being among the Fortune 500 or leading players in the industry.

The CIIE Bureau also announced at the conference the founding of two special committees for the dairy industry, as well as public health and epidemic prevention. More of such special committees will be set up, according to the bureau.

Initiated by exhibitors, the CIIE Enterprise Alliance was established during the first CIIE in 2018, with the aim of becoming a platform for quality companies to carry out cooperation, share information and resources, and contribute to promoting the trade cooperation between China and other countries.

Since its inception in 2018, 142 companies from 23 countries and regions have joined the alliance.

It is of great significance to hold the first conference of the third CIIE Enterprise Alliance as July 27 marks the 100-day countdown to the third CIIE, said Sun Chenghai, deputy director-general of the CIIE Bureau and secretary-general of the CIIE Enterprise Alliance.

He said he hoped that members of the alliance would play their roles as leading industry players in boosting technological innovation, serving as a bond between members of the alliance and contributing their wisdom.

Liu Fuxue, deputy director-general of the CIIE Bureau, announced the list of members of the third CIIE Enterprise Alliance. He said that communities placed higher expectations on the future of the CIIE Enterprise Alliance, and called all to stand together to build an even brighter future for the alliance, and share the opportunities brought about by the CIIE.

A revised version of the regulations for the alliance was released at the conference. Fabrice Megarbane, president and CEO of L'Oreal China, was appointed as the rotating chairman of the council for the CIIE Enterprise Alliance.

The special committees will be engaged in promoting sustainable industrial development and integrating the resources of whole industrial chains to get more companies involved in the CIIE.

Nearly 50 companies have signed for the exhibition at the subsection dedicated to public health and anti-epidemic products and services, covering 90 percent of the world's well-known companies in the field. Nearly 40 of them are among Fortune 500 and leading players in the field. The exhibition area will span over 10,000 square meters.

Dairy companies have shown enthusiasm for taking part in the exhibition at the food and agricultural products exhibition area, with the exhibition areas for dairy products covering nearly 10,000 sq m.

Six of the world's top eight dairy companies will take part in the exhibition, and nearly one-third of the Fortune 500 and leading companies to show up at the food and agricultural products area are dairy companies.