BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Preparations for the eighth China International Import Expo (CIIE), which will be held in Shanghai from Nov. 5 to 10, are nearly complete, Vice Commerce Minister Sheng Qiuping said on Tuesday.

The event will feature 4,108 overseas exhibitors from 155 countries, regions and international organizations, with the total exhibition area exceeding 430,000 square meters, setting a new record in scale, Sheng said.

During the expo, the Hongqiao International Economic Forum, comprising 33 sub-forums and closed-door meetings, will be held. A series of more than 80 supporting activities, such as trade matchmaking and investment promotion sessions, will also take place.

The World Openness Report 2025 and the World Openness Index will be released at the Hongqiao International Economic Forum. Meanwhile, the expo itself will see the debut of 461 new products, technologies and services.

This year's CIIE will introduce new themes such as the silver economy, ice and snow economy, sports economy, and automotive tourism, alongside new platforms for digital and health consumption, Sheng said.

These efforts are designed to boost the consumption of goods and services and foster new forms of consumption, he added.

Enterprises from a total of 123 Belt and Road partner countries have confirmed their participation, increasing by 23.1 percent year on year.

The CIIE will expand its special zone for African products, with the number of African enterprises participating in the expo increasing by 80 percent year on year. Enditem