With just days until Shanghai opens the doors to the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE), Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) on November 1 outlined an expanded suite of services designed to make it easier—and cheaper—for thousands of foreign exhibitors and buyers to travel, trade and settle payments in China. As the fair’s only ‘comprehensive cooperation partner,’ the lender told Ecns.cn that it has upgraded its four-tier “exhibition-matchmaking-landing-growth” model and will station 2,600 multilingual “Little Leaf” volunteers across Pudong and the National Exhibition and Convention Center.
ICBC’s new measures include fast-track RMB and multi-currency accounts opened on-site within 20 minutes, digital letters of guarantee that replace paper bank guarantees for customs clearance, and an extension of its CIIE “financial trustee booth.” The trustee model allows overseas SMEs that cannot send staff to Shanghai to display goods and negotiate orders via ICBC representatives, cutting travel costs by up to 70 percent while still tapping China’s post-pandemic rebound in inbound business travel.
For mobility managers, the bank is working with China Eastern Airlines and major hotel groups to bundle preferential FX rates with corporate travel bookings. Exhibitors using ICBC’s cross-border e-commerce settlement platform will receive fee waivers on the first RMB 5 million of transactions—a tangible saving for sample shipments and on-the-spot sales. ICBC has also pre-arranged ‘green-channel’ immigration desks at Pudong and Hongqiao airports for VIP delegations using the bank’s invitation letters, trimming arrival processing by an estimated 30 minutes per passenger.
![ICBC Deploys Full-Service “Financial Bridge” to Smooth Inbound Traffic for 8th CIIE]()
Analysts say the financial facilitation push is critical: CIIE organisers expect more than 3,400 companies from 140 countries and regions, with total inbound arrivals approaching 200,000—levels not seen since 2019. By lowering friction in payments, customs and visa letters, banks help convert would-be virtual participants into in-person visitors, multiplying downstream spending on air travel, hotels, ground transport and MICE services.
ICBC’s announcement feeds into Beijing’s broader narrative that China is ‘open for business’ after three years of pandemic-related controls. The National Immigration Administration will on November 5 add five Guangdong ports to the 240-hour transit-visa waiver, further shortening journey planning for CIIE attendees who route through the Greater Bay Area. Companies finalising travel plans should note that hotel rooms within 5 km of the venue are already 85 percent booked; early application for bank-issued invitation letters remains advisable because consular sections in Europe and North America report a one-week spike in demand.
Beyond the expo, ICBC says its playbook will be exported to other large-scale events such as the 2026 Asian Games and the Canton Fair, signalling that China’s financial sector is becoming an active enabler—not just a back-office processor—of global mobility.
ICBC’s new measures include fast-track RMB and multi-currency accounts opened on-site within 20 minutes, digital letters of guarantee that replace paper bank guarantees for customs clearance, and an extension of its CIIE “financial trustee booth.” The trustee model allows overseas SMEs that cannot send staff to Shanghai to display goods and negotiate orders via ICBC representatives, cutting travel costs by up to 70 percent while still tapping China’s post-pandemic rebound in inbound business travel.
For mobility managers, the bank is working with China Eastern Airlines and major hotel groups to bundle preferential FX rates with corporate travel bookings. Exhibitors using ICBC’s cross-border e-commerce settlement platform will receive fee waivers on the first RMB 5 million of transactions—a tangible saving for sample shipments and on-the-spot sales. ICBC has also pre-arranged ‘green-channel’ immigration desks at Pudong and Hongqiao airports for VIP delegations using the bank’s invitation letters, trimming arrival processing by an estimated 30 minutes per passenger.
Analysts say the financial facilitation push is critical: CIIE organisers expect more than 3,400 companies from 140 countries and regions, with total inbound arrivals approaching 200,000—levels not seen since 2019. By lowering friction in payments, customs and visa letters, banks help convert would-be virtual participants into in-person visitors, multiplying downstream spending on air travel, hotels, ground transport and MICE services.
ICBC’s announcement feeds into Beijing’s broader narrative that China is ‘open for business’ after three years of pandemic-related controls. The National Immigration Administration will on November 5 add five Guangdong ports to the 240-hour transit-visa waiver, further shortening journey planning for CIIE attendees who route through the Greater Bay Area. Companies finalising travel plans should note that hotel rooms within 5 km of the venue are already 85 percent booked; early application for bank-issued invitation letters remains advisable because consular sections in Europe and North America report a one-week spike in demand.
Beyond the expo, ICBC says its playbook will be exported to other large-scale events such as the 2026 Asian Games and the Canton Fair, signalling that China’s financial sector is becoming an active enabler—not just a back-office processor—of global mobility.
