Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala delivers a video speech during the opening ceremony of the seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE) and the Hongqiao International Economic Forum at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) in east China's Shanghai, Nov. 5, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Leaders from various countries and global organizations speak highly of the China International Import Expo's (CIIE) role in promoting multilateral trade and common development.

The seventh CIIE, running from Tuesday to Sunday in Shanghai, hosts 3,496 exhibitors from 129 countries and regions, as a world business gala.

World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala noted that since joining the WTO in 2001, China has been a strong supporter of the organization and played a key role in building capacity for least-developed countries.

"As geopolitical tensions intensify and signs of fracturing and fragmentation emerge in global trade and investment, it is crucial for political and business leaders around the world to collaborate on preserving and reforming the multilateral trading system to reflect the changing economic landscape," she said.

Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis, secretary-general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, said China's export and import activities have dramatic effects "even very far from its shores."

The expo sent a message of openness that businesses worldwide can connect, forge partnerships, and contribute to a more prosperous and interconnected global economy, she said.

The CIIE offers companies worldwide, regardless of their sizes, a platform to showcase their capabilities and attract new investments, said Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Multinational cooperation for free trade and sustainability should serve as a tool to actively advance global progress, rather than as a means to suppress competition, promote unfair advantages, or create conflict, he said.

Calling the CIIE a platform to support international trade development, cooperation, and new types of global partnerships, Denisa Sakova, deputy prime minister and minister of economy of the Slovak Republic, said her country has benefited greatly from participating in the expo, a place to showcase best and latest products and innovations to Chinese consumers.

The CIIE has become an important platform for strengthening international economic integration, said Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov. For Kazakhstan, the expo helps to expand international cooperation with foreign partners and offers new opportunities for distributing Kazakh goods in international markets.

Uzbekistan is taking advantage of opportunities such as the CIIE and striving to promote its position in the rapidly growing and attractive Chinese market, which will definitely deepen cooperation and development in trade, economy, investment, and other areas, said Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov.

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic said that as a platform for enterprises, people, and cultures to come together from around the world, the CIIE fosters not only business and commerce but also friendship and mutual understanding.