Aerial photo taken on Sept. 18, 2019 shows the night view of the Huangpu River in Shanghai, east China.(Xinhua/Ren Long)

"This exhibition... showed that the country is truly open to imports, quality goods from Europe receive a lot of attention, and Chinese entrepreneurs are interested in long-term partnerships."

VILNIUS, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- The second China International Import Expo (CIIE), which kicked off in Shanghai Tuesday, shows that China is truly open to imports, said a Lithuanian business official on Wednesday.

"This exhibition, which was first organized in China last year, showed that the country is truly open to imports, quality goods from Europe receive a lot of attention, and Chinese entrepreneurs are interested in long-term partnerships," said Daina Klepone, the managing director at Enterprise Lithuania, in a press release sent to Xinhua.

Enterprise Lithuania is an organization under the Lithuanian Ministry of Economy aiming to promote entrepreneurship, support business development and foster exports.

Aerial photo taken on Nov. 1, 2019 shows the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the main venue for the second China International Import Expo (CIIE), in Shanghai, east China. (Xinhua/Fan Jun)

"China is taking active steps to promote the country's trade with the rest of the world, and this exhibition is one of the main means of promoting the country's imports and exports, with a great deal of attention paid to and a lot of resources devoted to it," said Klepone, who?signed in December 2017 a letter of intent to participate in the CIIE on behalf of the Lithuanian government.

She also commended the first edition of CIIE for offering Lithuanian companies a lot of useful information about how to enter the Chinese market.

"A significant number of companies from other countries are participating in this exhibition for the first time. In this respect, Lithuanian companies are in an advantageous position since they are not newcomers, and strategically appreciate opportunities to enter the Chinese market," she said in the release.

At two national stands of Lithuania with an area of 190 square meters at the expo, 16 Lithuanian companies will showcase food and beverages, amber accessories, chic bags and linen bedding, among others, according to Enterprise Lithuania.■