THE 4th China International Supply Chain Expo (Cisce) opened on Monday under the theme “Connecting the World for a Shared Future,” sending a strong signal of China’s commitment to openness and international collaboration amid a complex global environment, participants said.
As one example of supply chain cooperation, Yum China officially unveiled its latest “full-chain artificial intelligence + robotics operating system” which demonstrated the innovative achievements resulting from Yum China’s close collaboration with its supplier partners, said Zhang Lekai, vice president of supply chain strategy at Yum China.This is just one representative action among the 676 companies and institutions from 85 countries, regions and international organizations participating in the expo, according to official data.The expo, with a record 36.5 percent of exhibitors from overseas, has become a major platform for strengthening global industrial and supply chain cooperation. When including upstream and downstream partners, the total number of participating entities exceeds 1,200, Ren Hongbin, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the host of the expo, said at the opening ceremony on Monday.At the expo, Cargill showcased its nearly $500-million grain and oil processing project under construction in Nantong, Jiangsu province.The company positions itself as a bridge between farmers and markets through an integrated supply chain spanning procurement, storage, processing and distribution, Liu Chang, vice president of Cargill Investments (China) Co., said in a statement.Several international agricultural giants, including Cargill, China Oil and Foodstuffs Corp., McDonald’s, Syngenta and Louis Dreyfus, jointly released a Beijing initiative on building the resilience and security of global agricultural and food supply chains at the 4th Cisce, aiming to deepen international cooperation, green transformation and technological innovation to enhance the security and sustainability of global food systems.AstraZeneca is participating the Cisce for the fourth consecutive year, demonstrating its long-term commitment to deepening its presence in China, strengthening its full value chain and promoting green, low-carbon and sustainable development in the health care industry, said Lin Xiao, general manager of AstraZeneca China.“China is a key market in AstraZeneca’s global strategy. From announcing plans to invest over 100 billion yuan ($14.8 billion) in China by 2030 earlier this year, to actively participating in the Cisce, we continue to take concrete actions to fulfill our commitment to long-term development in China and growing together with the country,” said Lin.GE HealthCare also highlighted its deep roots in China. Wang Yi, vice president and supply chain general manager of GE HealthCare greater China, told the Global Times that the company has built a resilient supply chain ecosystem with annual procurement exceeding 10 billion yuan, supporting more than 1,000 suppliers and helping cultivate more than 160 specialized high-tech enterprises in China.Australia is participating as the Guest Country of Honor for the first time at the expo. Dominic Trindade, general manager of the Australian Trade and Investment Commission in charge of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan regions, said that “in an increasingly complex global environment, resilient and efficient supply chains are critical to economic growth.”Ren also noted that this year’s expo focuses on high-quality development and high-level opening up.James Zimmerman, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, said, “The expo’s theme of openness, connectivity and synergy is exactly right and important. No economy has ever succeeded with a closed or semi-closed system.“Connectivity through people-to-people exchanges is vital, and synergy means leveraging the respective strengths of China and the US for mutual benefit. This expo represents a strategic plan and direction for all of us moving forward this year,” said Zimmerman.“Regarding American companies, China remains very important. Our economies are integrated and interdependent,” he added.
