SHANGHAI: Though China’s weeklong National Day holiday is ongoing, Pakistani businessman Habib Ur Rehman couldn’t afford a day off, as he was getting ready for the 4th China International Import Expo (CIIE), which is just one month away.
This year Rehman has ordered more salt lamps, which are made from minerals in mountainous areas. He hopes to introduce the popular household gadget from Pakistan to the Chinese market.
At a matchmaking session for buyers and exhibitors to meet ahead of the expo, Rehman’s products successfully aroused interest among merchants from across China, which has boosted his confidence.
This year, more than 200 exhibitors and over 500 purchasers participated in the matchmaking sessions.John Edwards, British trade commissioner for China, said in an e-mail interview that the Scottish Development International (SDI) was “particularly heavily involved in this year’s CIIE” and for the second year running, Scotland will “have a significant presence.”
The SDI will partner with Greenland Group, a Shanghai-based state-owned enterprise, to bring 37 Scottish companies to CIIE 2021, with 23 brands in the Food & Agricultural Products section, and 14 brands in the Consumer Goods section.
Official figures of the British government showed that the country secured more than 430 million GBP of commercial deals across a range of sectors during the 3rd CIIE last year.
Shu Jueting, spokesperson of China’s Ministry of Commerce, said the exhibition area exceeded 360,000 square meters, and the number of signed exhibitors exceeded that of the previous year, adding that over 80 percent of the Fortune 500 and industry-leading companies from last year’s CIIE will participate again in this year’s event.
Returning multinationals such as Michelin, Shiseido, Fonterra, Amorepacific, ABB and Fast Retailing have even signed up for the 5th CIIE in advance.
– The Daily Mail-People’s Daily News exchange item
