[Correspondent Diary] Will the Offline Expo in Beijing, China Be Successful?

First Large-Scale Offline Expo Since COVID-19 Outbreak... Open Until the 9th
Venue Disinfection Strengthened to Level of Shinpadi Market Cluster Infection

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] The China '2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS)' held its opening ceremony at 8 p.m. on the 4th and officially began the event.

Held under the theme of "World Services, Mutual Sharing," this event is the first large-scale offline event held in Beijing, the capital of China, since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The fair, which runs until the 9th, features participation from 17,158 domestic and foreign companies in China, with 2,266 operating offline booths.

The significance of this event is twofold. First, it serves as an opportunity for the Chinese government to publicly demonstrate that it has perfectly controlled COVID-19 both domestically and internationally.

Second, amid the escalating US-China conflicts, it is an opportunity to reaffirm China's economic power to the world. The Chinese economy showed a 'V'-shaped rebound in the second quarter, contrasting with the US. This event implies that excluding China will make global economic recovery difficult.

The China "2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS)" will be held at the National Convention Center in Beijing, China, until the 9th. A total of 17,158 domestic and international companies from China are participating, with 2,266 operating offline booths. (Photo by KOTRA Beijing Trade Center)

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a congratulatory video message at the opening, and Standing Committee member Han Zheng attended the ceremony in person, adding weight to the event.

In his congratulatory speech, President Xi said, "Let us jointly create an open and inclusive cooperative environment" and "We must create a win-win cooperation phase." He also emphasized, "Although the sudden COVID-19 has hindered our gatherings for a while, it cannot stop the progress of service trade development, cooperation, and mutual prosperity. Let us unite our hearts, join hands, and move forward to welcome a more beautiful future together."

Chinese state media such as the People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, and China Central Television (CCTV) also highlighted the significance of holding an offline exhibition in China amid the global spread of COVID-19.

Although the Chinese government confidently hosts this large-scale offline event, it still seems to harbor concerns about COVID-19.

All on-site personnel, including booth operators and staff from each country, were required to undergo nucleic acid testing in advance.

Participants must show their COVID-19 health status application (app) upon entering the venue to gain access. This is the same level of preventive measure that was strengthened during the collective infection at the Xinfadi market in June.

If confirmed COVID-19 cases occur again in Beijing after the event, the significance of this event will greatly diminish, and the political burden on the Chinese leadership will be considerable. The success of China's large-scale national events depends on COVID-19.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.