Consumer firms eye major spending spree
A1 The China International Import Expo is a fantastic platform to showcase our broad snacking portfolio that goes well beyond what we market to our consumers in China today. It also provides a platform for people to exchange views, learn from each other, and trigger business opportunities. The consumer insights we generate at the CIIE can inspire us with new ideas to innovate for next-generation snacks. In that sense, the expo helps serve our company's purpose: empowering people to snack right.
A2 Despite all the challenges and uncertainties during the time of the pandemic, we are optimistic about China's economic growth and believe the importance of the Chinese market will further grow. The CIIE is an uplifting message to the world economy and a vital platform to showcase our products from all over the world.
A3 We believe that China will carry this momentum in 2022 and beyond by providing a favorable and stable overall investment environment for foreign investors. China's promise to continuously expand the middle-income group, combined with increasing spending power in lower-tier cities, both give us strong confidence in the country's consumer market.
We've built up one of our nine global Research, Development & Quality Technical Centers in Suzhou, Jiangsu province. We introduce world-leading products to China and at the same time, bring proven domestic products to other markets as well.
A4 China's market is of key strategic importance for Mondelez, which represents immense future growth potential. We have a strong brand portfolio, including both global iconic brands and local jewels, to serve consumers' evolving snacking needs. To better satisfy Chinese consumers' snacking repertoire, imports of popular snacks from our global network are a good approach to meet the fast-changing needs of Chinese consumers, from indulgence to well-being, from fulfillment to characteristics.
Nowadays, it is worth mentioning that more and more Chinese consumers are also paying active attention to the impact that snacks have on the environment. As a company committed to empowering people to snack right, we are closely listening to these needs and trends to provide our Chinese consumers with the right products.
A5 The CIIE presents China's promises of opening-up, and we believe China will continue to open up for foreign investments and provide a more favorable environment for them.
To further leverage the national platform and seize new opportunities, a series of innovative patterns for high-quality development is expected, which will allow us to give full play to our advantages and business potential based on the requirements of development nationwide, by joining hands with local partners, customers and related government institutions.