Foreign entrepreneurs relish trade fair in NE China

People visit the 32nd Harbin International Economic and Trade Fair in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, June 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)

HARBIN, June 20 (Xinhua) -- For Park Jong Sung from the Republic of Korea (ROK), the 32nd Harbin International Economic and Trade Fair is extremely important for his business.

"I came to Harbin with a new product this time, hoping to find a partner," said Park. Having lived in China for over ten years, he owns a foreign trade company that has introduced many ROK products into China.

Park brought toy candy to this year's fair, which has been widely popular in the ROK but has not yet entered the Chinese market. He successfully found a new business partner after two days.

Park's company was among over 1,400 enterprises from 38 countries and regions participating in the 32nd Harbin International Economic and Trade Fair, held from June 15 to 19 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

According to its organizers, deals worth over 200 billion yuan (about 27.93 million U.S. dollars) were signed during the fair based on preliminary estimates.

Also from the ROK, Shin Tae Jin, chairman of a biomedical company, is a newcomer to the fair this year with a physical therapy instrument.

"I have gained a lot in the past few days and have reached preliminary agreements with distributors in Heilongjiang," said Shin, noting that he has been deeply involved in the Chinese market and opened multiple companies in different fields here.

"I like China and started investing in Heilongjiang several decades ago. Our products are well-received at this trade fair, which makes me very confident about its prospects," Shin added.

Pakistani businessman Adnan Abbas said he's been exhausted but happy during the trade fair, as his booth was constantly visited by customers who showed great interest in the brass handicrafts with Pakistani characteristics.

"The brass wine utensils are handmade, with exquisite shapes and great artistic value," he said of his products.

As a frequent participant, Abbas is accustomed to the bustling scene of the fair. "We have been participating in the trade fair since 2014 and exhibitions in other parts of China. Due to the large market in China, we are busy at almost every exhibition," he said.

The organizers said over 300,000 visits were made to the main venue of this year's fair.

"As a reputed international economic and trade exhibition, the Harbin International Economic and Trade Fair serves as an important platform for Northeast China to accelerate comprehensive revitalization," said Ren Hongbin, president of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.