A day-time view of the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the venue of the 5th China International Import Expo in suburban Qingpu District.

Shanghai is promising a beautiful city environment and top-level service for guests from around the world for the upcoming 5th China International Import Expo with preparations, using a refined and digital approach, almost concluded, a press conference heard on Wednesday.

In total, 216 tasks were marked for the grand event, which kicks off on Saturday, covering various sectors, including COVID-19 prevention and control, transportation, catering and accommodation, and reception and trading services.

In terms of COVID-19 prevention and control, key areas such as expressway entrances, hotels, the exhibition center and activity areas will be particularly targeted, with closed-loop management and strict disinfection measures in place to safeguard participants and ensure the smooth running of the expo, said Gu Honghui, head of the expo's service guarantee team and deputy secretary general of the city government.

"Refined and intelligent services will be provided to improve the experience, convenience and feelings of expo participants."

In detail, exclusive channels and reception centers for participating groups have been established at railway stations and airports, and the number of shuttle buses has been increased with interval between subway trains on relevant metro lines cut.

In total, 2,500 new-energy taxis will serve diversified demands of guests, according to Gu.

Twenty temporary parking lots, with about 1,900 parking spaces near the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the expo venue in suburban Qingpu District, will be opened with online reservation service available.

A price cap will be put on hotels serving the expo, and a list of 946 hotels with 163,200 rooms has been released for guest reception.

Inside the center, 46 catering businesses and seven mobile vans can provide a combined capacity of 140,000 meals daily, Gu revealed.

Shanghai Customs has set up 110 exclusive customs clearance windows and channels for personnel and exhibits to improve efficiency.

At the city's airports, exclusive channels and vehicles are being used to ensure exhibits arrive at the exhibition venues as quickly as possible.

As of Sunday, the warehouse on Xiangda Road in suburban Qingpu District, the main depot serving the expo this year, had received 2,269 boxes of imported cold-chain food from 89 exhibitors.

At the warehouse, the packages are disinfected and subjected to nucleic acid tests, with imported cold-chain food products put under a closed-loop management mechanism to eliminate virus contamination hazards.

Five medical treatment stations will be in place inside the center, with 20 ambulances standing by.

Smooth telecommunications network boasting 5G technologies will be ensured at the venue.

In total, 3,743 "little leaves" will provide services such as guidance and translations to guests during the six-day expo.

CIIE volunteers are nicknamed "little leaves" after the clover-shaped National Exhibition and Convention Center.

A night-time view of the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai)