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Haikou, China Observers see the huge expo featuring luxury brand name products being held here on Hainan island from May 7-10 as part of a larger campaign orchestrated by Chinese leader Xi Jinping to develop “China’s Hawaii” as a free trade zone that will rival or even replace Hong Kong.
The First China International Consumer Products Expo, cosponsored by China’s commerce ministry and the Hainan provincial government, sprawls over 800,000 square meters. On display are some 2,600 foreign brands representing some 69 countries and regions. The mammoth undertaking aims to be nothing less than the largest consumer goods expo in the Asia-Pacific region, with more than 200,000 foreigners expected to attend.