KIEV, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- The first China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai is an important platform to link Ukrainian entrepreneurs with Chinese partners to the benefits of both sides, Ukrainian business and non-governmental organization leaders have said.

At the CIIE, "we received a large number of requests and proposals for the supply of our products," Vadym Lubianko, head of a Kiev-based plant Impuls that participated in the expo, told Xinhua.

The expo, which concluded Saturday, provides a unique chance for the Ukrainian state-run plant, which produces spare parts of prostheses, to enter the Chinese market, said Lubianko, adding that "the expo provided an opportunity to approach the rapidly developing Chinese market and present our products on this market."

Besides, the CIIE enables the Ukrainian plant to discover options for working with buyers in different countries around the globe.

"At the expo, all interested parties had the opportunity to find partners for the realization of their commercial goals and get access to new markets," Lubianko said.

He noted that at the CIIE, Impuls found potential buyers not only in China but also in Europe.

More than 3,600 companies from 172 countries, regions and international organizations have showcased their achievements at the CIIE, looking for more chances of international cooperation.

Dozens of Ukrainian enterprises showcased their products at the expo, from food to innovative gadgets, at the national exhibition booth al well as commercial pavilions.

Ukraine's presentation of itself at this international exhibition shows "its capabilities, as well as investment and export potential," said Gennady Chizhikov, president of the non-governmental Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Chizhikov, who often participates in international exhibitions around the world, told Xinhua via phone that he was impressed by the scale and diversity of the CIIE.

Countries and thousands of companies gathered together at the expo, "providing an opportunity to find a buyer or a supplier in a very short period of time," said Chizhikov, adding that "this (is) exactly what modern business needs and this is very important."

He spoke highly of the organization, saying the expo was held "at a very high level."

"From the very beginning, the participants saw and felt the most important thing -- the hospitality of the organizers," Chizhikov said. "Besides, there was a high level of technological organization -- we experienced no difficulties with entering the exhibition, which is very important in terms of saving time."

The expo became an important platform to link Ukrainian entrepreneurs with Chinese partners to the benefits of the two countries, Chizhikov added.

"I think this exhibition will help small and medium-sized businesses of our countries to establish cooperation," Chizhikov said. "It will also help Ukrainian entrepreneurs to better understand how to work in the Chinese market, and this will ultimately give an impetus to the development of relations between our countries."

He also stressed that such large-scale expos are of particular importance for the development of regional and global trade.

"We hope this exhibition will be held on a regular basis," Chizhikov said. "Not only China needs it, but Ukraine needs it and the whole world needs it."