Preparation of the next China International Import Expo goes smoothly with the 5th CIIE expected to be held offline in November of this year, Beijing Daily app reported on Thursday.

Liu Fuxue, deputy director-general of the CIIE Bureau, made the remark at the online promotion meeting for the energy, low carbon and environmental protection technology zone of the fifth CIIE on Tuesday.

Enterprises are actively signing up for the exhibition with the contracted area exceeding 70 percent of the planned area, Liu said.

As COVID-19 continues to spread across the world, the situation in some parts of China is grim, and the global economy and supply chain have been influenced by this.

No matter how big the challenges are, the preparation of the 5th CIIE will be promoted unswervingly, providing different parties an international economic and trade event full of opportunities, Liu said.

Entitled "low-carbon development and green recovery", the special zone of energy, low-carbon and environmental protection technology is expected to focus on new materials, new energy, building energy conservation, water treatment and comprehensive environmental governance.

With an exhibition area of 14,000 square meters, the special zone has attracted over 40 enterprises to sign contracts. The scale of the special exhibition zone is projected to surpass the level of the fourth CIIE.