(Yicai Global) May 23 -- International mining giant Rio Tinto Group has signed a five-year deal to exhibit at the China International Import Expo, becoming the first among Fortune Global 500 Companies to do so.

Rio Tinto will participate in the CIIE between 2024 and 2028, the expo’s organizers said on its official WeChat account yesterday. The London-based firm will focus on the long-term common development with the CIIE, make full use of the platform to explore development opportunities, and deepen its presence in the Chinese market, it added.

Rio Tinto attended its first CIIE last year and signed deals with aluminum producer Aluminum Corporation of China and Sinomine Resource Group, a Chinese supplier of battery-grade lithium fluoride.

In the past five years, the CIIE has demonstrated China’s determination to take the initiative, open up to the world, and became an important platform for the country to share development opportunities and promote global cooperation, Rio Tinto’s Chief Commercial Officer and Chairman Alf Barrios said.

In the future, Rio Tinto will continue to support China’s economic stability and long-term development and strive to become a preferred partner for the country’s high-quality development, Barrios noted.

“Rio Tinto has climate change and low-carbon at the heart of its strategy,” Barrios said. “This year, we will be showcasing the company’s solutions and latest progresses in promoting the global low-carbon transition at the CIIE.”

The sixth CIIE will be held in Shanghai from Nov. 5 to 10.

Editor: Futura Costaglione