The sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) is underway in Hainan province, with Bank of China providing support in the opening year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) and following the Hainan Free Trade Port's commencement of island-wide independent customs operations.

As the only global strategic partner to have supported all six editions of the expo, BOC has delivered end-to-end support spanning exhibitor and investment recruitment, financial products, on-site services, and supporting events. BOC's ongoing support has injected fresh momentum into efforts to enhance consumption.

To cater to the global demand for consumption upgrading, this year's main venue features eight exhibition halls and seven themed zones, covering key consumption sectors, and serving as a platform for premium global brands.

BOC's booth blends international flair, technological elements, and distinct Hainan character. It highlights BOC's advances in cross-border finance, technology finance, pension finance, and digital finance, as well as services tailored to the Hainan FTP. It vividly illustrates how BOC addresses challenges such as payment access for inbound travelers and cross-border financing for companies, reinforcing efforts to build the Hainan FTP to a high standard. A leisure area, coffee tasting corner, and blind box experience zone offer comprehensive services, making the booth a popular stop for visitors.

As a global strategic partner of CICPE, BOC has established a designated exhibition area for the targeted assistance counties — Yongshou, Changwu, Xunyi, and Chunhua in Xianyang, Shaanxi province — for the fourth consecutive year. This area also features specialty agricultural products from nearly 300 counties that have been lifted out of poverty, sold through BOC's "Shanyuan" consumer assistance platform. By bringing these products to the expo, BOC helps farmers from formerly impoverished areas access broader markets, supporting local rural revitalization and income growth.

BOC is dedicated to providing professional, efficient, and warm services to exhibitors and visitors at the expo. For overseas exhibitors and buyers, senior visitors, and others needing extra support, BOC offers personalized assistance, making financial services more tangible, accessible, and participatory.

In the cross-border financial services zone, the BOC Compass app is attracting significant interest from overseas attendees. Designed for inbound travelers, it integrates essential services into a single platform, addresses pain points in payments and daily services, and enables one-stop convenience. The BOC Compass app has surpassed one million installations, improving the travel experience for international visitors and opening a new chapter in cross-border services.

To further simplify payments for foreign visitors, BOC also promoted the Free Walker app, also known as "Hainan Wallet", at the expo. Launched by BOC's Hainan branch, the payment product connects users to UnionPay-standard QR codes and WeChat Pay, covering daily spending on shopping, dining, transport, and accommodation.

As independent customs operations take effect, Hainan's distinct appeal as a warm-climate retreat, health and wellness destination, livable place, and inclusive environment is gaining greater attention, driving growth across the silver economy value chain. On April 15, BOC held a special "Silver Partner Program" event at the expo in partnership with the Hainan provincial government, inviting more than 50 enterprises from the health and wellness travel, silver consumption, and smart eldercare sectors, and presenting plaques to eight Silver Partners.

The program is a long-term, strategic, and collaborative initiative by BOC to connect government, enterprises, and social organizations on an open platform that pools resources, insights, and business opportunities. Bringing the program to the expo is a key step in BOC's efforts to enhance its pension finance offerings and build its pension financial service ecosystem, as well as a practical effort to meet the financing, knowledge-sharing, and business integration needs of the eldercare industry.

Since the first CICPE, BOC has leveraged its partnership to help generate more than USD 1 billion in intended cooperation across five editions, providing strong financial support for global businesses seeking to enter the Chinese market. From supporting global brand debuts at the inaugural expo to now fostering a finance-consumption ecosystem, BOC has spent six editions building a bridge that connects global buyers and sellers, channeling the benefits of the Hainan FTP to market participants.

Cross-border financial innovation has been a strategic priority for BOC throughout the FTP's development. It was among the first to implement the multi-functional free trade account (EF account) system in Hainan. On Dec 18, 2025, the first day of Hainan's independent customs operations, BOC facilitated the first EF-account transfer across the "second line" between accounts under different names, demonstrating the system's versatility and efficiency for cross-border fund settlement.

As the FTP moves into a new phase of independent customs operations, BOC is focusing on enterprises seeking to go global. It has developed a three-in-one support framework that combines policy advisory, financial products, and comprehensive services, helping enterprises establish centralized cross-border fund operation centers. Through full-process policy guidance, a wide product ecosystem, and end-to-end support covering settlement, financing, hedging, and trading, BOC enables companies to centralize, deploy, and safeguard their funds efficiently, contributing to Hainan's role as a benchmark for high-level opening-up.

As policy dividends continue to accelerate the development of CICPE, BOC remains committed to enhancing the expo's stature as a premier platform, delivering better financial products and more efficient services that help global companies seize opportunities in China and shape a new landscape of open cooperation.