Execs give China Import Expo the thumbs-up

Event sparking cooperative deals for Panasonic

Panasonic signed more than 10 strategic cooperation agreements in such fields as intelligent manufacturing and battery asset management during the sixth China International Import Expo.

At the expo which concluded on Friday in Shanghai, the company occupied an exhibition booth covering an area of 1,000 square meters. It exhibited such products and services as hydrogen fuel cell applications in factories and homes, smart welding robots and an intelligent cockpit designed to promote low-carbon travel.

Participating in the annual trade event for six consecutive years, Panasonic can "experience excellent products and technologies from all over the world; strengthen interactions with local governments and enterprises; and gain feedback from visitors on Panasonic products in just a few days," said Zhao Bingdi, vice-president of Panasonic China and Northeast Asia Company.

The group's CEO Yuki Kusumi, who attended the expo for the first time, said during the gathering that Panasonic has always adhered to the corporate mission of realizing "an ideal society featuring rich material and spiritual civilization" proposed by Konosuke Matsushita, the group's founder. It has been making constant efforts from a strategic and holistic perspective, to contribute to solving the environmental problems of the Earth, and enable every consumer to have a healthy, safe and comfortable life, the CEO said.

In 2022, for example, Panasonic put forward a long-term environmental vision titled "Panasonic Green Impact", according to which the group plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 300 million metric tons as of 2050, equivalent to about 1 percent of the total global carbon dioxide emissions currently.

As for the pursuit of a better life, Panasonic strives to provide quality products and services in different regions. It has built a residential community in Yixing, Jiangsu province, integrating the group's advantages in home appliances and housing facilities. The project represents Panasonic's Wellness Smart Town concept.

"As one of the first foreign enterprises to enter China, Panasonic can be said to be a witness to China's reform and opening-up and the improvement of the business environment," Zhao said.

Since China is moving toward a high-quality development pattern, the Chinese market is playing an increasingly important role in the global market. "The Chinese market has incomparable advantages. While maintaining itself as a manufacturing powerhouse, it has also gradually transformed into a powerhouse in terms of consumption, engineering and innovation," Zhao noted. "China has a huge market demand and complete industry and supply chains, as well as the strong capability to accept new technologies, and great potential for economic development. All these factors provide wider opportunities for enterprises to develop in the country."

The group has been focusing on building 17 new research and production bases, involving software development, vehicle equipment, electronic components, housing facilities, home appliances development and material production. Nearly half of them have been completed or are in operation.