"Breaking Decoupling" China Hosts Supply Chain Expo... Major Participation from Apple, Amazon, and More

515 Companies Participated, 132 Are Foreign
Major Korean Conglomerates Not Yet Listed

China is set to host an international-scale supply chain expo on the 28th, attracting attention as major U.S. tech companies such as Apple, Amazon, Tesla, and Qualcomm have confirmed their participation. Among South Korea's large corporations like Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor, none have been listed as participants so far.

On the 21st, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) announced in a press briefing that the "1st China International Supply Chain Promotion Expo (Supply Chain Expo)" will be held in Beijing from the 28th to December 2nd. The expo will be divided into five sectors: smart automobiles, agriculture, clean energy, digital technology, and health, with 515 participating companies setting up booths of 10㎡ each.

Jiang Xiaogang, Vice Chairman of CCPIT, stated, "Among the participating companies, 132 are foreign enterprises," adding, "This expo reflects China's determination to maintain the stability and smoothness of industries and supply chains." He further explained, "The goal is to connect industrial chain companies and contribute to building a stable and smooth global supply chain."

Market attention is focused on the participating companies. According to CCPIT, a total of 55 countries and regions will participate in this expo, including the United States, which has been leading supply chain conflicts with China. U.S. companies such as Apple, Amazon, Intel, Tesla, Qualcomm, and General Motors (GM) will have booths. Jiang said, "The participation of U.S. companies exceeded expectations, and many are industry leaders," adding, "We hope these companies will make progress toward healthy, stable, and long-term development of China-U.S. relations while also advancing their own businesses."

Additionally, about 20 European companies are expected to participate, and half of the foreign companies come from countries involved in China's Belt and Road Initiative. South Korean companies such as Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor, SK, LG, and POSCO have not appeared on the publicly released list of participants so far. Among Korean companies, only Ezytronics, an electric conversion device company, has been confirmed to participate.

The event is expected to highlight business cooperation between U.S. and Chinese companies while also emphasizing the technological independence of domestic firms. Jiang emphasized, "There will be sessions showcasing cooperation between U.S. and Chinese companies such as Qualcomm, China Mobile, Xiaomi, and iQIYI," adding, "The self-reliant manufacturing chain of China's automobile industry will also be promoted."

The Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) evaluated the expo as "being held amid Western countries' pressure to reduce dependence on the world's largest manufacturer amid geopolitical disputes," and predicted, "China, often called the world's factory, is expected to demonstrate through this event how it has made its manufacturing chain self-reliant."

Meanwhile, China has been shrinking in the global trade market, showing six consecutive months of export decline as of October. Exports recorded $274.8 billion (approximately 355.5 trillion KRW), down 6.4% year-on-year, which not only worsened from the 6.2% decline in September but also significantly exceeded market expectations of a 3.3% decrease.