China stands as a force for global stability and certainty in a world fraught with change and turbulence, representatives of international organizations said, citing platforms such as the China International Import Expo and the associated Hongqiao International Economic Forum as venues for sharing opportunities with the world.

They made the remarks at a symposium held at Palais des Nations, the United Nations Office at Geneva, on Tuesday.

The event, hosted by the China International Import Expo Bureau and the Secretariat of the Hongqiao International Economic Forum with support from the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva, aimed to strengthen dialogue with UN agencies and better align the expo and forum with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

"In a geoeconomic world with so many uncertainties and questions that decision makers cannot easily answer, it is important to have a gravitational center that provides a sense of stability and continuity…China, in cooperation with others and in particular in expanding its role internationally and across the Global South, has been playing such a crucial function ," said Anastasia Nesvetailova, head of the Macroeconomic and Development Policies Branch of the UN Trade and Development, in conversation with China Daily after the symposium.

She said UNCTAD has built tangible cooperation with the CIIE and the Hongqiao forum, from sending delegations to co-hosting panels on global trade and industry trends, such as lessons from China's design of its special economic zones and the launch of the Chinese version of UNCTAD's Trade and Development Report.

"Transparency and communication are key to stability. People get really nervous and worried when there is a lack of information and conflicting information," said Nesvetailova. "Our aim for the next forum is to capitalize on that and also to provide various spaces for multilevel networks of dialogue."

Carlos Maria Correa, executive director of the South Center, an intergovernmental organization of developing nations, said China is not only firm in its commitment to opening up, but also encourages partner countries around the world to pursue development rather than containing them, a philosophy in contrast to approaches imposed by some other countries.

Dorothy Tembo, deputy executive director of the International Trade Center, a UN-backed agency that focuses on open trade, said the CIIE and the Hongqiao forum have, over the past eight editions, built a "well-deserved" track record for demonstrating what trade can look like "at its best".

She said CIIE has, in particular, created fresh opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises and developing economies, which have been hit hardest by the shifting global environment.

For example, a Bolivian agro-export company that once had zero experience selling its grains and seeds in the Chinese market now generates $5 million in annual revenue through consistent participation, with the number of small-scale farmers it supports growing by 1,800.

"This is the type of story we want to tell, because all SMEs that are involved in this process are obviously moving in a direction where their lives are changing — with a mature income, with a mature ability to be able to make personal decisions in their lives — but also understanding that they are being seen as valuable contributors in the whole chain," she said.

"This is one of the many stories. We have others that relate to an arts and crafts firm from Kyrgyzstan, natural cosmetic producers from Burundi, natural banana products from Cambodia, and hundreds more firms that I would not be able to go into (details)."

The number of SMEs brought to the CIIE by ITC has today significantly increased to more than 500, she said. "In this unstable world, CIIE is really a track record that we can, and must continue to build on."

Both Correa and Tembo noted that the CIIE and the Hongqiao forum have provided "hand-holding" support for SMEs, developing economies, and the least developed countries.

Song Shangzhe from the CIIE Bureau introduced some of the stories of change. At the 7th CIIE, Benin pineapples were introduced to Chinese consumers for the first time, with the first shipment taking two months to reach the exhibition venue. A year later, at the 8th edition, the fruit could be delivered to the booth on the same day it cleared customs, thanks to a green channel and faster phytosanitary inspections arranged with customs authorities.

Similarly, Madagascan mutton made its debut in the Chinese market at the 7th CIIE with support from ITC. By the following year, the product had tapped into live-streaming sales channels with technology support from the Chinese side, as the expo also introduced a dedicated e-commerce service zone.

According to Song, the expo has attracted participants from 42 least developed countries, 27 landlocked developing countries, and 25 small island developing states over the past editions.

"It is one thing to say there is this provision; it is another to actually see that provision being utilized in a very concrete sense," Tembo said.

The associated Hongqiao forum serves as a platform for open and frank discussions that go beyond simple buying and selling, turning practical experiences into reference documents. The World Openness Report and its accompanying World Openness Index, which gauges the openness levels of 129 economies since 1990, were also released at the forum.

First released in 2021, the index is compiled by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of World Economics and Politics and the Research Center for the Hongqiao International Economic Forum.

"The compilation of the report and the release of the index themselves demonstrate China's consistent commitment to globalization and to engaging with the world through cooperation and mutual benefit," said Liao Fan, director-general of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of World Economics and Politics.

"The report also sends a clear message to the world about the kind of trade and openness that are beneficial, at a time when unilateralism and protectionism are disrupting the global order…I believe it helps bring together people around the world who do support these principles, and encourages continued efforts to advance free trade, globalization, and a more open global economy."

Liang Hong, minister counselor of the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said CIIE is an important international public good provided by China and a vivid practice of building a community with a shared future for mankind.