(Yicai) Oct. 24 -- Chinese executives from overseas companies returning to or taking part for the first time in the seventh China International Import Expo in Shanghai expressed intentions to continue focusing on opportunities in the local market.

Medtronic, a US-Irish medical device maker that has participated in the CIIE every year, has accelerated the introduction and implementation of many world-leading innovative medical technologies and solutions in the Chinese market thanks to the platform provided by the exhibition, Alex Gu, senior vice president and president of the firm's China arm, told Yicai.

Nearly 3,500 exhibitors from 129 countries and regions have signed up to take part in the CIIE this year, which will be held from Nov. 5 through Nov. 10. Some 186 firms and institutions will return for the seventh straight year, while Synopsys, a US electronic design automation firm, Canada's Lululemon Athletica, and Japanese sound-related solutions provider NTT Sonority are among first-time attendees.

This year's expo will hopefully help Medtronic continue to expand its "circle of friends" within China's medical ecosystem, Gu noted. The company will display seven exhibits for the first time and nearly 20 flagship products, he added.

Almost 20 of Medtronic's flagship products showcased at previous CIIEs have transformed from exhibits into commercial products, upgrading its local value chain, Ji Ling, head of the company's China Research and Development Center, said to Yicai.

Since its establishment in 2012, Medtronic's China R&D Center has developed 65 new products, with over 50 successfully entering the market and 23 achieving global sales, Ji pointed out.

The CIIE creates opportunities for global companies to deepen their presence in the Chinese market and achieve win-win cooperations, Zheng Yin, executive vice president of French digital automation firm Schneider Electric, which has also taken part in every edition of the expo, told Yicai.

With continued investment in innovation and accelerated transformation and upgrading of the industrial chain, Schneider Electric believes China will offer broader development opportunities for overseas companies in various industries, according to Yin, who is also president of China and East Asia at the Rueil Malmaison-based firm.

"We are well aware of the importance of the CIIE and have been closely following its developments," Eric Chung, chief executive officer of the Chinese unit of Japanese paint maker Nippon Paint Holdings, told Yicai. The company witnessed the expo's powerful spillover effects after previous visits, he added.

Nippon Paint will exhibit products for the first time at this year's CIIE, showcasing two products that are making their global debut and one that is debuting in China, Chung pointed out. Through this participation, the firm aims to share its innovative achievements in smart road construction, urban air purification, and carbon reduction in the auto industry with Chinese customers, he said.

The CIIE has become an important bridge for promoting global trade cooperation, according to Chung. The previous editions of the expo provided a platform for foreign companies to showcase their products and engage in exchanges while also highlighting China's commitment to promoting high-level opening-up, he pointed out.

The opportunities China offers are increasingly reaching the rest of the world as it widens its doors, Chung said, adding that Nippon Paint will continue to invest in the country, "believing that investing in China is investing in the future." The firm will also assist its Chinese partners in going abroad by sharing opportunities in the global market, he noted.

A record 297 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders will attend the CIIE this year. The seventh Hongqiao International Economic Forum, which includes a main forum and 19 sub-forums, will take place at the National Exhibition and Convention Center during the same period.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Martin Kadiev