On the afternoon of the 13th, Haikou, the "gateway" to Hainan, China's southernmost province. Stepping into the Hainan International Convention Center, where the 6th Hainan International Consumer Products Expo (the expo) was being held, the exhibition hall was packed with visitors and reporters eager to demo various tech products, leaving no room to move.
The most eye-catching exhibits were artificial intelligence (AI) glasses. More than five companies unveiled new products, from Huawei, China's largest information technology (IT) company, to rising newcomers Rokid and INMO. In front of each booth, long lines formed as visitors waited to try the products themselves.
After waiting a few minutes and putting on Rokid's product, which looked like ordinary horn-rimmed glasses, green text unfolded before my eyes. The text projected in the glasses performed real-time translation and captions in dozens of languages, a teleprompter, and navigation functions, and it recognized the surrounding environment to enable simple conversations. It also supported shooting and recording, real-time livestreaming, checking phone notifications, QR code payments, and shopping integration.
Unlike Virtual Reality (VR) devices, it did not cause dizziness, and it also did not significantly obstruct the field of view. Controls were handled via a dedicated application, a frame button, and a temple sensor. Sales are already under way locally, and the price is in the 600,000 won range.
According to Xinhua, the expo is the largest consumer goods fair in the Asia-Pacific region, with more than 3,400 brands participating from about 60 countries and regions. It was co-hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government. This is the first national-level event held since the Hainan customs sealing (fengguan) in Dec. 2025, and it is the first major stage where global corporations and products have gathered under Hainan's new tariff and customs clearance system. The sealing designates the entire island of Hainan as a single, independent "special customs zone," a move that raises the level of external opening beyond that of mainland China.
◇ Aiming to boost domestic demand by attracting overseas brands
The expo also aligns with the Chinese government's 15th five-year plan (2026–2030). At the Two Sessions (the National People's Congress of China and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference) in March, the Chinese government set "boosting domestic demand" as the core of the five-year plan starting this year, and it has been operating the outlying island duty-free system (duty-free benefits for domestic visitors to Hainan) to channel Chinese consumers' overseas spending into Hainan.
Reflecting this policy trend, the share of overseas brand exhibits, which was less than half last year, reached 65% this year. In the "duty-free and premium consumption" pavilion, global beauty corporations such as Estée Lauder and L'Oréal gathered alongside luxury car brands like Bentley and Lamborghini, and in the "global specialty consumption" pavilion, country- and region-specific booths lined up. Each booth displayed products that captured national characteristics, including liquor, food, and clothing. A Korea booth was also set up in one section, drawing attention to rice cookers, food and beverages, cosmetics, and health supplements.
For the first time, a Taiwan booth was set up at this year's exhibition, stopping visitors in their tracks. A Taiwan representative said, "While there have been individual corporation-level participants in the past, this is the first time we have set up a booth as an official delegation like this," adding that they hope such activities will serve as an opportunity to expand cross-strait (China and Taiwan) economic exchanges.
◇ "Upgrade" consumption levels with advanced products
Another core of the five-year plan is "consumption upgrade." The strategy is to pursue high value-added consumption through advanced technology, beyond simply increasing the volume of consumption. This was fully reflected in the expo's "science and technology consumption" pavilion. In one corner, Alibaba's e-commerce platform Taobao set up an "AI smart life experience hall." Aimed mainly at general consumers rather than industrial use, the exhibits included a smart ring that can perform smartwatch-like functions just by wearing it on a finger, a VR device shaped like ordinary glasses to reduce wearing burden, and small humanoids (human-shaped robots).
A representative from Shinan District, Qingdao, who was wearing Huawei's AI glasses while listening to a product explanation, said, "They are lighter than they look," adding, "I would be willing to buy if they are around 2,000 yuan (about 430,000 won)." Huawei's AI glasses are scheduled for official release at a launch event on the 20th of this month.
In addition, Sinopec's refueling robot and ARIDGE's flying car were unveiled on site that day, drawing the attention of many visitors. However, unlike the consumer AI devices mentioned earlier, these products are more like technology demonstrations than everyday items available for immediate purchase.
Xinhua said, "This expo is not only a gateway for overseas premium products to enter the Chinese market, but also a platform for 'Made in China' to enter global markets. The expo will serve as a barometer leading the trend of consumption upgrades," adding, "These exhibitions and opening measures show the Chinese government's continued commitment to expanding openness to the outside world."