On November 5, Ding Xuexiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CCP Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, stated at the opening ceremony of the 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai that the reason for the huge trade surplus is that China wants to import many products but cannot buy them, or is not allowed to buy them, and that normal trade in high-tech products is being interfered with. He also refuted claims that China is squeezing the economies of other countries.