Visitors learn about French cuisine during the 6th China International Import Expo in Shanghai in November. CHINA DAILY

French companies are being encouraged to expand their participation in the 7th China International Import Expo, taking the opportunity to further cash in on the vast potential of the Chinese market.

"In recent years, with the continuous expansion of the Chinese middle-income consumer group and the improvement of consumer demand, the Chinese market has shown vigorous vitality, attracting more and more French goods into China," said Lu Shaye, Chinese ambassador to France, during a promotional event in Paris on April 16 for the CIIE.

French companies have participated in the expo since its inauguration in 2018. France was invited as the guest of honor country during the second CIIE, a role that saw French President Emmanuel Macron attend the opening ceremony. Five years later, France was invited to be the guest of honor for the second time at the seventh CIIE scheduled from Nov 5 to 10.

"The French government and enterprises have always been frequent guests of the CIIE. France was once again invited as the guest of honor, fully demonstrating China's importance and recognition of French enterprises and products. I hope more French companies can make good use of the CIIE platform, seize opportunities, deeply cultivate in China, provide more high-quality products for Chinese consumers, and share China's vast consumer market," Lu said.

As highlighted by Sun Chenghai, deputy director-general of the CIIE Bureau, French participation has consistently ranked among the highest of all countries in terms of exhibitor numbers, exhibition area and intended transaction volume. France's exhibition space at the CIIE has expanded from over 10,000 square meters in the first year to 21,000 sq m last year.

The seventh CIIE will feature a "From French farms to Chinese tables" zone within the food and agricultural products exhibition area, thanks to a coordinated mechanism envisioned by the leaders of the two nations last year.

Lan Zhenzhen, president of public affairs at L'Oreal North Asia and China, said: "Over the past six years, the CIIE has been pivotal for open innovation efforts for L'Oreal. L'Oreal has debuted more than 20 new international brands and dozens of beauty cosmetic technologies at the CIIE, facilitating the transition from exhibitors to investors, and investors to partners."

L'Oreal has also co-hosted projects like the Big Bang beauty tech innovation challenge, opened research and development centers in Shanghai, and invested in local enterprises, all of which are seen by Lan, as ripple effects of CIIE participation.