Southwest China's Chongqing municipality has sent 33 delegations to participate in the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) underway in Shanghai from Nov 5 to 11.

The 33 delegations, including representatives from municipal government offices, the Chongqing Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Group, and the Liangjiang New Area administrative committee, are seeking to bring more momentum to the municipality's upgrading of consumption, trade, industries and opening-up.

Chongqing delegations will aim to address the municipality's need for frontier technologies, raw materials, resources, medicine, tourism and cultural products, according to an official from the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce.

The municipality will double down on its transformation into an inland distribution center for imports and a regional hub of international logistics, he said.

"We want to find more overseas trade partners and expand our import market, which will promote Chongqing's industrial upgrading as well as the consumer economy," said a representative of the Chongqing Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Group.

Over 2,000 Chongqing enterprises will try to find new partners during the expo. It's reported that Chongqing Daily and Garuda Indonesia are expected to work on new flight routes between Chongqing and Indonesia.

Chongqing's famous restaurant brands are also planning to team up with foreign food suppliers and blend the famous Chongqing cuisine with a larger variety of fresh ingredients imported from worldwide.

Chongqing will focus on enriching its import of raw materials, manufacturing devices and daily necessities during the ongoing expo, according to the municipal government.