Editor's note: As the 7th China International Import Expo approaches, the International Services Shanghai presents a special column, CIIE at Your Service. This series offers practical guides covering everything from event registration and customs clearance to payment solutions and dining options. This installation focuses on volunteer services.

Oops! Your mobile phone is off? You're struggling with the expo registration? You're not sure where to go? Don't worry! You can turn to "little leaves" for help.

Young volunteers recruited from local schools to serve CIIE participants are dubbed "little leaves" because the expo venue resembles a four-leaf clover.

More than 3,000 volunteers will provide on-site guidance, expo registration advice, guest reception info, media support, trade data compilations, IT and logistics stuff, as well as administrative assistance and medical services.

Need professional services? No problem! Over 100 volunteers are professionals with backgrounds in the law, the internet, communications, finance, foreign trade logistics, technical equipment, the automotive, medical and consumer sectors. 

They will assist expo organizers in giving insights into exhibits and guiding important visitor routes. Some are skilled in cultural exchanges – capable of showcasing the unique regional cultures and competitive industries of countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

These volunteers are all proficient in at least one foreign language – with 50 individuals specializing in French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Russian and Thai languages. They'll offer multilingual services for participating countries, exhibitors, buyers and professional visitors to facilitate business negotiations.

If you have any questions or problems, don't hesitate to ask them for help. They're ready to do you a favor.

Besides the "little leaves" folks, volunteers from all walks of life will serve in airports, railway stations, metro stations, parks and in major commercial areas in order to give you a hand.

If you have difficulty in locating the special channel for CIIE at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, a volunteer team from the Shanghai airport immigration station is ready to help you out.

The volunteer team will also assist foreign folks to solve any problems in payments, communications and transportation – as well as explain visa policies such as the 144-hour visa-free transit and help deal with emergencies.

Source: Shanghai Observer