SHANGHAI -- After a year of preparation, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted the first China International Import Expo here on Monday, vowing to import $40 trillion worth of goods and services over the next 15 years.
The Chinese leadership had flagged the expo as one of the most important diplomatic events of the year, and the figures were staggering. Attending were 3,600 companies from 172 countries and regions, with 400,000 buyers expected to attend by Saturday.
