The Nov. 5-10 China International Import Expo, or CIIE, is an attempt by Beijing to counter mounting criticism of its trade and business practices by bringing thousands of foreign companies together with Chinese buyers to demonstrate the importing potential of the world’s no.2 economy. When Chinese President Xi Jinping opens the expo with a speech on Monday morning, few expect him to announce bold new policies of the kind that many foreign governments and businesses have been seeking. Instead, people involved in planning meetings have said they expect state-owned companies to arrive with orders to do deals, possibly even with quotas, so that the expo will end with China something to show the world.
