HAIKOU, April 17 (Xinhua) -- This week, the tropical city of Haikou, known as the "coconut city" and the capital of China's island province of Hainan, is hosting the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE). The annual event underscores Hainan's efforts to become a globally influential hub for tourism and consumption.

As a major exhibition held in the first year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) period, and an important platform for showcasing the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) following the launch of island-wide special customs operations in December last year, this year's expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from more than 60 countries and regions. It offers brands greater visibility and an opportunity to secure a foothold in the Chinese market amid shifting consumption patterns in the world's second-largest economy.

International exhibits account for 65 percent of the total at the expo, up 20 percentage points from the previous edition, highlighting the expo's growing role in positioning Hainan as a vital gateway linking international brands with the Chinese market and creating valuable growth opportunities for businesses worldwide.

The event, which runs from April 13 to 18, has seen exhibitors showcase premium products in the emerging consumption sectors such as smart, healthy, green, IP-driven, and digital consumption.

As visitors roam the eight gigantic exhibition halls at the expo, they enjoy a globalized shopping experience and feel up close how new consumption trends and cutting-edge technologies are increasingly changing lives. This year, the total exhibition area hit 143,000 square meters, an increase of 13,000 square meters compared to last year.

James Luka, a Sudanese student pursuing international economy and trade studies at the Hainan campus of Beijing Language and Culture University, said he was very impressed by the new products on display, some of which he had never seen before.

Inside the Consumer Technology exhibition hall, a range of high-tech consumer products has attracted strong interest, with visitors queuing to experience them first-hand. The exhibits span handy gadgets such as AI glasses and smart pads, as well as larger items including premium massage chairs and sleep machines.

Estee Lauder, a multinational cosmetics company, attaches great significance to the Chinese consumption market. Its participation in the expo reflects a positive response to the strong momentum in the duty-free market and the trend towards consumption upgrading, against the backdrop of Hainan's island-wide special customs operations, and demonstrates its long-term confidence in further strengthening its presence in the Hainan market.

Matthew Growdon, president of Estee Lauder Companies' Asia-Pacific and Travel Retail Worldwide, said that the expo is an incredibly important event for the company, underlining the company's commitment to Hainan as a critical hub in the global travel retail sector.

OSIM, a Singaporean massage chair brand, has debuted at the expo a new flagship product -- a high-end wellness chair.

In an interview, Deserine Lim, OSIM general manager of HQ Management and East China, told Xinhua that six years of participation in the expo has been driven by the brand's deep recognition of the expo's strategic value, adding that the special customs operations in the Hainan FTP mark a new phase in Hainan's development, promising greater convenience in trade, investment, and the movement of people, and creating broader development space for international brands.

"We view this as a significant strategic opportunity, and will continue to monitor the rollout of relevant policies while actively assessing their positive impacts on logistics, market access, and other areas," she said, adding that the company has full confidence in the future of China, especially the Hainan FTP.

Alongside brands that have built a strong presence in the Chinese market through repeated exposure at the expo over the years, there are also new entrants seeking to establish a foothold here. Hainan, and the expo in particular, offer a valuable gateway and strategic platform for access to the Chinese market.

"I feel the Chinese market has the potential to be one of the largest markets for us. Our possibilities here are very big," said Gregory Paul Zeschuk, founder of Blind Enthusiasm, a brewing company based in Edmonton, Canada. At his exhibition booth, Zeschuk has been busy introducing the premium product he has brought to the expo -- a spontaneous beer that has a taste almost like champagne or sparkling wine.

Zeschuk elaborated on his positive impressions of Hainan, praising its superb infrastructure and the high-quality products on display, particularly the Chinese-made electric vehicles.

Bateer, executive vice governor of Hainan, said that the expo, by gathering global consumer resources, is injecting strong momentum into efforts to build Hainan into an international tourism and consumption destination with global influence.

Statistics point to the tropical island's growing appeal for both shopping and tourism, boosted further by the island's special customs operations and duty-free shopping policies.

According to data from Haikou Customs, in the first quarter of this year, offshore duty-free sales in Hainan amounted to 14.21 billion yuan (about 2 billion U.S. dollars), up 25.7 percent year on year.

Hainan has continued to maintain the country's most favorable visa-free policy system, covering policies such as bilateral mutual exemptions, unilateral exemptions, a 30-day visa-free entry for nationals of 59 countries, and a 240-hour transit visa-free policy.

To facilitate travel, Hainan is also rapidly expanding its air network, with routes covering key regions such as Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

Since its launch in 2021, the CICPE has become an important platform for multinationals to stay abreast of consumer trends in China, with over 3,800 enterprises and more than 12,000 brands from 92 countries and regions participating in the past five editions.