Shanghai Municipality, east China - Feb 26, 2020 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of "cloud signing" of third China International Import Expo (CIIE)
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Kamran Vossoughi, president, Michelin China (partially overlaid with shot 3):
"This is a platform of communication, exchange and business between people, and between companies and businesses. I'm still confident on the future of the Chinese economy. We want to explore the new needs of China."
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
3. National flags of China, France
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
4. Various of "cloud signing"
5. National flags of China, Japan
6. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Sean Shan Guohong, president, Takeda China (starting with shot 5):
"We achieved great results in the first CIIE, so we believe we can continue to demonstrate our strong innovation ability through the platform of the CIIE and introduce more innovative drugs to the Chinese market."
7. Various of staff of CIIE at work

FILE: Shanghai Municipality, east China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
8. Aerial shots of National Exhibition and Convention Center, venue for CIIE
9. Aerial shot of the Bund

The third China International Import Expo (CIIE) introduced "cloud signing" for the first time on Wednesday due to the novel coronavirus epidemic.

Four companies, including Michelin, Lesaffre, Takeda and Seiko Epson, took part in this new form of contract signing.

As one of the world's top 500 companies, Michelin decided to participate in the third CIIE after visiting and observing the first two versions.

Kamran Vossoughi, president of Michelin China, said they are confident of the Chinese market despite the ongoing epidemic.

"This is a platform of communication, exchange and business between people, and between companies and businesses. I'm still confident on the future of the Chinese economy. We want to explore the new needs of China," he said.

Takeda participated in the first CIIE but missed the second version. This time it plans to demonstrate its strong innovation ability on the stage of the third CIIE.

"We achieved great results in the first CIIE, so we believe we can continue to demonstrate our strong innovation ability through the platform of the CIIE and introduce more innovative drugs to the Chinese market," said Sean Shan Guohong, general manager of the Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Greater China Area.

The organizers of the CIIE are trying their best to offset the negative impact of the epidemic since Feb 10, and have made contact with nearly 300 companies through phone calls and online meetings.

So far, more than 1,000 exhibitors worldwide had signed up for the third CIIE, with more than half of the planned exhibition space designated.