Chatting with visitors from around the world in front of shelves lined with Canadian healthcare products, Keith Taverner, a Canadian businessperson, could barely contain his excitement when promoting his products at the China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE), where he is participating for the first time. The lively scene captures the strong appeal this year's CICPE holds for foreign governments and business representatives who have flocked to Haikou, capital city of South China's Hainan Province.

Now in its sixth edition, the expo has attracted a record number of participating countries and regional delegations, including Canada, Ireland and Germany. For many, the message is clear: "China's market is simply too big to ignore."

Canada, this year's guest country of honor, has organized its largest-ever delegation, with about 40 companies participating in sectors including cosmetics, agricultural products, health products and pet food.

Speaking at the expo, Taverner told the Global Times that it's great to have the Canadian spotlight here with this booth right at the front. "China has the largest consumer population in the world, and there's a huge middle class willing to buy natural products, and they're very invested in their own health... There's just so much room for growth," he said, explaining why he is here.

Notably, during the expo, the Canadian businessperson is trying livestream promotions on Douyin, embracing the idea that "when in China, do as the Chinese do."

"Everything sells online here," he said, noting that many of the company's products are already available on Chinese e-commerce platforms, and it is working with livestreamers to promote them and engage directly with consumers.

Taverner's booth was promoted by the visiting Canadian Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu during the expo.

In a group media interview at the expo, Sidhu put it simply: "If you see what's behind me, 40 exhibitors from different sectors of Canada, this is what it's gonna take... A lot of back and forth, a lot of conversations, but a lot of excitement between Canada and China."

On a further note, the Canadian minister said that as China's consumer market continues to grow, its 1.4 billion consumers represent a highly important opportunity for Canada.

Not far from the Canadian pavilion stands the Irish pavilion, a country that has participated in all six editions of the expo.

From whisky to butter and skin products, a wide range of Irish products are on display. Nicholas O'Brien, the Irish Ambassador to China, told the Global Times at the expo that "We're very pleased with the level of cooperation and the level of trade which we have with China, and we want to see that increasing further."

Commenting on the CICPE itself, O'Brien said that it's a unique expo because it's focused on consumer products in general, and "this is something that we're very happy to come back to every year."

O'Brien's words did not come out of the blue. This year's expo has drawn more than 3,400 brands from more than 60 countries and regions, with international exhibits accounting for 65 percent of the total, up 20 percent from the previous edition.

Walking around the expo, Global Times reporters made a notable observation that while it is a platform for medium-sized and large companies, it is also filled with relatively small family-run businesses from across Europe. For many of them, the expo has become a crucial bridge connecting them to one of the world's largest consumer markets as they seek to diversify their markets and go global.

Claudia Mader is from the small town of Meckenheim in western Germany, where her company Eubos, a medium-sized family business in medical skin care, is based. She flew a long way to participate in the expo for the first time, as she is eager to diversify her markets, which are traditionally in Europe and some countries in Asia, with China emerging as a new but fast-growing market.

"Our key focus is on hydration, skin barrier protection and gentle skin care. We believe this aligns well with the needs of Chinese consumers, who are now highly informed about product quality and ingredients," she said.

Mader noted that "China is a very big market, fast-growing, and it would be a good opportunity for us as a German company to enter this market, achieve sustainable growth, and establish a presence here."

While there are newcomers, there are also veterans. Ramel Francois, a wine supplier who runs his family chateau in France, has attended the expo six times in a row since its early editions. To him, the expo is growing larger each year, with more visitors and exhibitors, and he finds himself increasingly busy meeting both old and new partners from China and beyond.

"We have to be here, because we meet the best customers here, and people who are willing to drink and pay for French wine," Francois said.

Currently, he operates two wine trading companies, one in Haikou and another in Shanghai, and he sees strong potential for growth in the business.

While acknowledging China as a country with a vast consumer base, Francois also recognizes strong competition from winemakers in other countries as well as within China. "I won't say it's easy, and we really have to work hard to retain customers and maintain stock," but it's worthwhile, he said.