Interview: China's consumer products expo highlights market's reliability, growth potential, says Kyrgyz economist

BISHKEK, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese market is now perceived not only as a major sales platform, but also one of the most reliable and promising growth hubs for international businesses, Kyrgyz economist Iskender Sharsheev has told Xinhua.

This perception, he said, is clearly demonstrated by the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE), which runs on April 13-18 in south China's Hainan Province.

"Amid rising geopolitical tensions, trade restrictions, and instability in global supply chains, China's consumer market continues to demonstrate resilience and a strong capacity to adapt quickly to external challenges," he said.

He added that China has consistently supported its domestic market through consumption incentives, product upgrades and measures aimed at strengthening purchasing power.

The event brings together numerous global brands and showcases the high level of confidence companies worldwide have in the long-term potential of the Chinese economy, the expert noted.

China launched island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port last December. Sharsheev said that such a move creates a new format for international partners to work with the Chinese market, where tariff and administrative barriers are reduced, import and export procedures are simplified, logistics are accelerated, and opportunities for cross-border trade are significantly expanded.

"Combined with the updated CICPE platform, this transforms Hainan not just into an exhibition venue, but into a real mechanism for testing new trade regimes, attracting investment, and building modern supply chains. For businesses, this means more convenient, faster, and predictable access to the Chinese market, and for foreign companies, the opportunity to operate in an environment with more flexible and favorable conditions," the Kyrgyz economist emphasized.

In recent years, China has consistently pursued a policy of expanding high-level openness to the outside world. According to Sharsheev, from a long-term perspective, China's openness creates "not situational, but strategic opportunities" for Kyrgyzstan.

"China is demonstrating its commitment to expanding access for foreign investors, developing digital trade, protecting business rights, and creating a more open economic environment. For Kyrgyzstan, this represents an opportunity not only to increase exports but also to integrate into new production, logistics, and consumer chains that are forming around the growing Chinese market," he said.

The most promising areas could include the supply of environmentally friendly products, the development of joint textile and light industrial production, the promotion of green and smart products, and the development of tourism and related consumer services, he said.

"In this sense, leveraging China's opportunities for Kyrgyzstan can be seen as a practical step toward strengthening economic cooperation, expanding markets, and creating a more sustainable growth model in the face of global uncertainty," he said.■