Global toy giant eyes huge child play potential in Chinese market

BEIJING, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Global toy giant LEGO is seeking to unlock the huge child play potential in the Chinese market with its sixth presence at the upcoming China International Import Expo (CIIE).

A recent LEGO global survey including some 1,000 respondents from the Chinese mainland showed that Chinese children only spend about 6 hours a week on playing on average, accounting for less than 2 percent of the total amount of time in a week.

Meanwhile, more than 90 percent of the surveyed parents recognized the power of play in helping their child develop skills.

To tap this growing market potential, the company plans to highlight the role of play in shaping a child's confidence, cognitive abilities and overall wellbeing at the sixth CIIE.

"We have been active in seizing the market opportunities provided by the CIIE by offering the latest quality products and play experience to Chinese consumers," said Paul Huang, senior vice president of the LEGO Group and general manager of LEGO China.

"It's a manifestation of our long-term commitment to the Chinese market which we will continue exploring," Huang added.

The sixth CIIE is scheduled to take place in Shanghai from Nov. 5 to 10. Among the 3,000 global companies participating this year, approximately 200 companies have signed up for six consecutive years since its inception, while around 400 companies are returning to the expo after a gap of more than two years.

Official data showed that China's imports have continued to maintain sound momentum, with import volume expanding quarter by quarter this year. China has been the world's second largest import market for 14 consecutive years.