Beijing Expo 2019 Kicks Off Promotional Eventin Milan, Italy

09-25/2018

On September 17, 2018, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition Coordination Bureau (BIHECB) jointly launched a promotional campaign for Beijing Expo 2019 in Milan, Italy, in a bid to comprehensively enhance the global awareness and influence of the international horticultural exhibition to be held in Beijing next year and in particular, motivate more horticulturally developed European countries to participate in the Expo. As part of the efforts to push forward the international publicity of Beijing Expo 2019, the promotional campaign also aimed to strengthen global cooperation, during which organizers explained the Expo’s theme “Live Green, Live Better,” introduced its preparatory work, and recommended its abundant tourism resources to Italy’s local governments,media organizations and travel agencies. They also invited Italian tourists to enjoy the horticultural pageant that will be open at the foot of Beijing’s Great Wall in the spring of 2019. Li Shaofeng, Counsellor of Commerce at the Chinese Consulate-General in Milan, attended and addressed the promotional campaign that was presided over by Yao Lujie, deputy chief representative of CCPIT in Italy. Attendees also included Zhang Yinchao, deputy secretary-general of China Flower Association, and Peng Hongming, also deputy secretary-general of China Flower Association and deputy secretary-general of the Executive Committee of Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition 2019.

Li Shaofeng, Counsellor of Commerce at the Chinese Consulate-General in Milan,delivers a speech at the promotional event

Yao Lujie, deputy chief representative of CCPIT in Italy, presides over the promotional event

On behalf of Song Xuefeng, Chinese Consul-General in Milan, Li Shaofeng, Counsellor of Commerce at the Chinese Consulate-General in Milan, extended his welcome to the Chinese delegation, and expressed his hope that Italians from all walks of life will visit Beijing and use the international platform of Beijing Expo 2019 to display the characteristics and beauty of Italy to the whole world.

Zhang Liang, deputy director of Trade and Investment Promotion Department of the CCPIT and vice director of the Liaison Office of the Organizing Committee of Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition 2019, gave an overview to Beijing Expo 2019. The Expo Park is located in Yanqing District, Beijing. It is estimated that tourists will have at least 16 million visits to the 162-day Expo from both home and abroad.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to the preparation for Beijing Expo 2019. Adhering to the principleof “innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development,” we will pool the resources around the nation and wisdom across the world to achieve the goal of “pushing world horticulture to a new height and setting a new model for ecological progress” and continue pressing ahead with the preparatory work. Themed on “Live Green, Live Better,” Beijing Expo 2019 will serve as an important platform for international exchange and cooperation in the green industry and provide a broad stage for all countries to carry out extensive cooperation in fields like horticultural industry, special culture, tourism resources and product technology, and expand market space. Moreover, through hosting the Expo, China will become the most popular tourist destination globally and present a wonderful horticultural pageant and unforgettable travel experience to visitors from around the world. It will create a unique, wonderful and impressive horticultural exhibition.

At present, the preparatory work for Beijing Expo 2019 is proceeding as scheduled. The planning of the Expo Park has been completed, and its construction is progressing steadily. Major facilities such as the China Pavilion and the International Pavilion have entered the stage of exterior wall decoration, mechanical and electrical installation and secondary structure construction, and all supporting infrastructure facilities have been completed. The Expo Park has already taken shape. The goals for both domestic and international exhibitor solicitation have been fully met, and exhibition design has been basically finished. To date, a total of 103 countries and international organizations have confirmed to participate in the Expo. Seven joint gardens including those for South Africa, the Caribbean Community and the South Pacific, as well as national gardens of four countries including Japan and India, have begun construction. Moreover, all domestic gardens of 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, as well as Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, in China, have also begun construction. Chinese gardens have begun to take shape.

With the enhanced promotion and publicity of the Expo, its influence at home and abroad is constantly expanding. In the first six months of 2018 alone, nearly 15,000 pieces of news about Beijing Expo 2019 were published, 2.44 times more than the figure of the same period in 2017. So far, more than 20 international promotional activities have been held, attracting large amounts of people from both home and overseas to pay attention to, support and participate in the Expo. The marketing of the Expo has earned early results. Nine enterprises including Air China, China Youth Travel Service (CYTS), Beijing Bank, Shunxin Holdings, Vanke, BAIC Group, Baidu, JD, and China Telecom have signed agreements to become global partners of Beijing Expo 2019. The planning for activities during the Expo has been launched. During the 162-day Beijing Expo 2019, nearly 2,000 cultural activities in five sections, including the three most important events (namely, the opening ceremony, the closing ceremony, and the China Pavilion Day), will be organized, turning the Expo Park into a sea of joy. The ticketing plan has passed the examination of the Expo’s organization committee. Formulated on the basis of the experiences of the previous international horticultural exhibitions, the ticketing plan of Beijing Expo 2019, including ticket prices and purchasing channels, will be unveiled to the world at the 200-day countdown for the Expo.

During the Q&A section of the meeting, representatives fromItaly’slocal governments, media organizations and travel agencies carried out in-depth communication and dialogue with the Chinese delegation on the participation method of Italy and on questions that overseas tourists care the most, including the ticketing plan and service support.