Supporting activities of the 5th China International Import Expo started accepting bids on Monday, according to the CIIE official website.

Eligible applicants include member units of the CIIE organizing committee, international organizations, participating countries or regions as an exhibitor, provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government or with independent planning status, firms, purchasers industry associations, and the media.

As important components, nearly 100 supporting activities of the 4th CIIE last year were held, including policy interpretation, business docking, deal signing, new product displays, investment promotion and research finding publications. These activities fueled international sourcing, investment, people-to-people exchanges and cooperation. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization and World Intellectual Property Organization also held supporting activities such as forums.

China's Commerce Ministry, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, People's Bank of China, and the State Administration for Market Regulation also held supporting activities last year.