The ninth Hongqiao International Economic Forum (HQF) will be held in Shanghai this November under the theme "Stability and Cooperation: Building an Open World Economy Together", organizers announced on July 27. The disclosure also marked the 100-day countdown to the 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE).
Due to be held alongside the CIIE, the forum will include an opening ceremony, sub-forums and a series of closed-door meetings. Discussions will focus on opening-up for cooperation, innovation, development and sharing — covering topics such as multilateralism, technological innovation, green development and China's commitment to openness and shared growth.
A highlight this year is the release of the World Openness Report 2026, featuring the latest World Openness Index. A new Export-to-China Capacity Development Report will also be launched, alongside the Chinese edition of the World Trade Report 2026.
In video remarks, Hamid Rashid, former head of the UN Global Economic Monitoring Centre, said China has continued to support the multilateral trading system and is playing a growing role in inclusive AI governance and open-source AI.
UN Resident Coordinator in China Siddharth Chatterjee said China's high-level opening-up has created more opportunities for businesses worldwide, especially small and medium-sized enterprises from developing countries.
