President Ranil Wickremesinghe was the first speaker after President Xi Jinping to address, virtually, the well-attended and highly prestigious 5th China International Import Expo CIIE and the Hongqiao Economic Forum Opening Ceremony. In addition to the President of Sri Lanka, the opening ceremony was addressed by the Heads of State or Government of Mauritania, Mozambique, Belarus, Guyana, Solomon Islands, and the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, and the Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.