Cook: Participating in the CIIE shows confidence in the Chinese market

Chinanews.com, Shanghai, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Cook: Participating in the CIIE shows confidence in the Chinese market

Written by Pu Fan Kang Yuzhan

Halsey M. Cook, president and CEO of Milliken & Company, is back in China after a three-year hiatus, and has confirmed his participation in the 6th China International Import Expo and the Hongqiao International Economic Forum.

Cook: Showing confidence in the Chinese market by participating in the CIIE Theme poster

As a "new friend" of the Expo, Milliken will participate in the exhibition for the first time this year. For the first time in the history of Milliken & Company, Milliken will highlight its innovative technologies, many of which are helping to drive sustainability and circularity in the products it currently uses, at the sixth CIIE.

"Hopefully, this will reflect the importance we attach to the Chinese market and express our confidence and commitment to China as a whole," Cook said. ”

Chinanews: What changes have you seen in China this time?

Cook: I've been coming to China almost every year since around 2000, and every time I come there I see something new, and I'm very happy to be here again.

This time, I noticed that the car that picked me up from the airport was a Chinese brand electric car, which was very nice. I was amazed and impressed by the development of the electric vehicle market in China. China has become a leader in the field of electric vehicles and is growing very rapidly.

China has made significant progress in the green economy, with solar, wind and electric vehicles exemplifying this. We're also interested in these areas, so some of our businesses are selling to them. For example, our coating additives business is providing key ingredients for adhesives and coatings for electric vehicles. In addition, we are developing a range of innovative products that can truly add value to EV batteries and energy storage and make EVs lighter, stronger, and safer.

We look forward to capitalizing on this trend and growing with these industries in China."

Halsey M. Cook, president and CEO of Milliken & Company, was interviewed. Photo by Chinanews reporter Kang Yuzhan

Chinanews: This is Milliken's first time participating in the CIIE, can you talk about your feelings and expectations?

COOK: I'm very excited because it's our first time exhibiting. We would like to take this opportunity to show that we attach importance to investing in China. CIIE is an occasion where we can build a wide network of contacts and reach a large number of potential customers.

Another thing that excites us is that this is the first time we've led all of our business units to showcase our products, and it's the first time in the company's history that we've been exhibiting under the name of Milliken Group, which we hope will show our confidence in the entire Chinese market."

We look forward to engaging with our customers, supply partners, government representatives and users at the Expo, which has contributed to the vigorous development of the global economy."

Chinanews: From your personal perspective and that of the whole company, how do you view the entire Chinese market?

Cook: Milliken is a global company with a diverse team in more than 70 locations around the world. The Chinese market plays an important role in Milliken's growth plans. In 2012, we established our Asia Pacific Regional Headquarters in Shanghai, the first regional center outside of the U.S. headquarters.

For the Chinese market, we are very focused on sustainability strategies. Milliken is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, and sustainability is not only one of our corporate responsibilities, but we also see sustainability as a key driver of our business.

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the marketplace, including the growing expectations of customers, investors, employees and regulators. China's "dual carbon" commitment is an important step towards sustainable development, and we are pleased to see the support of the Chinese government and all walks of life.

We are also committed to doing our part, for example, our Chemicals business unit is working with Chinese partners on the post-consumer recycling of plastic waste. In the past few years alone, we've recycled more than 17.<> billion beverage bottles and turned them into high-end outdoor apparel.

In addition, we have made more acquisitions in the last five years than in the previous 20 years combined. We are making these acquisitions with the aim of achieving broader growth in China and across Asia. We have developed new product lines and are interested in bringing them to the Chinese market, where we want to play a more important role. We will continue to cultivate the Chinese market and continue to grow with the growth of China's economy. (ENDS)