The 5th China International Consumer Products Expo is being held in the Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center in Haikou from Apr. 13-18. This is the second year for the UK to participate in the event. As the guest country of honor at this year’s Expo, the scale of the UK exhibition is twice as large as last year’s, with total exhibition space in excess of 1,200 square meters and 53 participating brands, 27 of which are highlighted in the 250 square meter large UK Pavilion.

“When we asked UK companies if they wanted to attend this year’s Consumer Goods Expo, we received a lot of applications.” According to Jessica Shuck, Representative of the British Embassy in China and Curator of the UK Pavilion, this is due to the good report from UK exhibitors at last year’s Expo, who were able to establish a large number of business contacts and cooperation agreements, and because Chinese distributors and buyers are very important for British companies.

In addition to doubling the scale of the UK exhibition as well as the number of participating companies, this year seven UK companies are also holding new product launches during the event. This shows that these British companies are increasingly paying attention to the Chinese consumer market and the importance they attach to the Consumer Products Expo.

In recent years, the UK and Hainan have established cooperation and exchanges in several fields including medical care, education, culture, and ecology. In reference to the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port, Shuck said that the FTP policies are a major factor in attracting UK companies to the island province. She also pointed out that direct flights between Hainan and the UK will begin this May, which are expected to greatly promote travel, economic, and trade exchanges between the two locations. “Hainan’s excellent weather is important for attracting travelers from the UK and other parts of Europe,” said Shuck.