Visitors take photos during the eighth China International Import Expo in Shanghai on Nov 5. LU PENG/XINHUA

In a global landscape marked by increasing volatility and protectionist rumblings, China sent a clear message during the recently-concluded China International Import Expo: the world's second-largest economy offers tremendous opportunities for foreign businesses, grounded in a commitment to even wider openness, executives and experts said.

The six-day event, which drew to a close on Nov 10 in Shanghai, attracted more than 4,000 companies from 155 countries, regions and international organizations with a total of 461 new products, technologies, and services making their debut.

The real measure of the expo's success, however, lay beyond the exhibition halls. It was found in the signed contracts, the deepened cooperation intentions and the reinforced relationships among a steady stream of international partners.

For years, Norwegian salmon has swum into many Chinese kitchens. This year, Norway introduced its king crabs during the eighth edition of the CIIE. It marked the second type of live Norwegian crab, after snow crab last year, to gain access to China.