MINSK, 19 August (BelTA) – The Belarusian National Pavilion project in China's Chengdu will not only help boost trade but also bring business partners of the two countries closer to each other, Director of the Great Silk Road Meat (Industry) Trade and Investment Co., Ltd. Zhang Yi said in an interview to the ONT channel, BelTA has learned.
Friendship between the leaders of the two states promotes business, Zhang Yi said. “That is why I chose your country for my company. Last year we purchased $5 million worth of Belarusian beef. The purchases in July-August 2019 made up $1 million. We hope supplies will continue increasing. We send ten containers from Belarus every month and more than 200 from other countries. Under the Belt and Road program, we take advantage of subsidiaries on supplies of food products from your country, which means it is profitable for us to work with you,” the businessman said.
In his words, there are some difficulties in doing business with Belarusian partners in part of concluding contracts because of different approaches to the size of advanced payment. “As for food products: Chinese preferences differ from those of Belarusians, and we have to choose what to buy. It would be great if your companies adjust to the demands of the Chinese market. To understand each other is the major goal of the Belarusian National Pavilion,” Zhang Yi said.
The Belarusian National Pavilion will open in the free economic zone of Chengdu, Sichuan Province in November 2019. Nearby are two biggest markets of Western China and a railway terminal where trains from Belarus come. Mir Castle has been chosen as a design for the Belarusian pavilion which will serve as a permanent exhibiting platform for Belarusian companies. The pavilion will also host business forums.
“We will tell there about our internet technologies. I know that some 7,000 Chinese companies are waiting for Belarusian business. One more thing: when our consumers, for example, see milk from Australia on the shelf of the store, they know that this is a country with a beautiful nature, great air, rich flora and fauna. They buy this milk associating the product with the country. Not all Chinese people know Belarus and its nature well, and it is difficult for them to guess the quality of the product (and it is of high quality indeed). We want to tell everyone more about your country, its history, culture and nature,” Zhang Yi said.
It is expected that in the first year of operation the trade turnover of the pavilion will be $5 million. In a year it will reach $20 million and will hit some $60 million in two years. According to Zhang Yi, those figures are modest for China but look like a strategic market for Belarus.
