By YANG Shuhongji

The fifth China International Import Expo (CIIE) opens in Shanghai on November 5, featuring companies and organizations from 127 countries, including 284 on the Fortune 500 list. 

Here are some highlights. 

Merck, which has participated in CIIE every year since the first in 2018, will showcase its products and technology. Among the featured products is Merck’s Covid-19 oral treatment Molnupiravir.

Johnson & Johnson, also a fifth-time participant, will feature nearly 200 products in pharmaceuticals and medical devices, including 40 new releases. It will also present 14 cases of using technology to democratize healthcare. 

Mondelez International, maker of Oreo, Ritz and Tuc, will unveil a number of new products developed for the Chinese market, including an Oreo-flavored sponge cake. In previous years, Mondelez showcased low-GI crackers, sugar-free multivitamins, and charcoal gums that became hits in China. 

Lego has built a merry-go-round with 78,752 blocks. It took 10 artists 366 hours to put it together.

3M will release a new insulation fabric in its Thinsulate line. It is light, warm and made of 80 percent recycled material. The company has also brought a new Greener Clean kitchen sponge completely made of plant and recycled fiber. 

Uniqlo, for its third CIIE exhibition, will unveil a 1000-square-meter Tomorrow Wonderland consisting of four zones embodying fashion, technology, quality and sustainability. Among the new products to be released are HEATTECH thermal underwear and a puffer jacket. Both are designed to accommodate a wide variety of weather conditions while looking fashionable. 

Ernst & Young will put on a metaverse and sustainability exhibition that explores topics including digitization, technological innovation, and opening up. 

AL RIHLA, the official ball for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, will be exhibited, together with all the official FIFA World Cup balls since 1970.