(Yicai Global) Sept. 17 — Around 70 automotive firms from 17 counties have signed up to show off their latest models and technology at the first China International Import Expo as the field looks set to become one of the event's showcase exhibitions.

China has the world's fastest-developing auto sector and the highest demand for vehicles, Gu Chunting, vice chairman of the Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shanghai, told Yicai Global in an exclusive interview. China imports over a million automobiles every year with sales topping USD45 billion, he added.

Cars, motorbikes, parts and testing systems will all go on show at the CIIE, which takes place in Shanghai in November, he said. These include fresh models, new-energy vehicles, limousines, autonomous driving tech and hydrogen cell power.

More than twenty of the exhibitors, including Ford Lincoln, Volvo, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, Iyeco and Bosch, attended a pre-expo conferences to chat with over 50 buyers, Gu said.

Volkswagen Group has the biggest display, covering about 3,000 square meters and showing off brands like Audi and Porsche, he continued, adding that Slovakia-based Aeromobil will exhibit a vehicle capable of transforming into a flying car, for which it is already taking orders.

An Auto Forum will be held at the first CIIE on Nov. 6 for further discussion on the direction and policies for the auto industry's development, noted Gu.