Photo taken on Sept. 21, 2018 shows the venue of China Trade and Investment Exhibition, in Cairo, Egypt. The largest trade fair for Chinese investors in Egypt that was launched on Friday will be a great opportunity for cooperation between the two countries' producers and merchants, said Egypt's former Prime Minister Essam Sharaf. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)
by Marwa Yahya
CAIRO, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- The largest trade fair for Chinese investors in Egypt that was launched on Friday will be a great opportunity for cooperation between the two countries' producers and merchants, said Egypt's former Prime Minister Essam Sharaf.
Trade exhibition plays an important role in paving the way for communication that was exercised hundreds years ago via trade convoys passing the old Silk Road, said Sharaf, also chief of Sharaf Foundation for Sustainable Development and a committee member of the Silk Road NGO Cooperation Network.
On 10,000 square meters, the three-day exhibition, called the China Trade and Investment Exhibition, houses products of 210 Chinese factories in 420 pavilions.
The items on display included furniture, electronics, building materials, home appliances, leather products, textiles and accessories.
"We came here to promote Chinese business in Egypt," said Wang Xinyuan, sales manager at Yi-Choice International Company.
The company represents factories which manufacture plastic and metal gaskets that are mostly used in industrial and power, chemical processing and oil refinery plants, Wang said, highlighting "the products secure production safety by preventing leakage."
"Of course our company expects to sign many deals with Egyptian businessmen because Egypt has great potentials to grow rapidly," she added.
"We already had many emails and business cards of customers who are interested in our products," she added, as her company's products have been in the markets for 25 years.
In another pavilion, Sayed Abdel Aziz, a wholesale fruit seller, was checking the plastic containers.
"It will keep my product clean and fresh for long time," he said.
He said one piece will cost him five dollars, though expensive compared to the traditional palm tree-made fragile ones, but it will live for several years and after that it could also be resold for recycling.
In front of videos of a Chinese company, visitors were gathered, watching displaying shows for dancing fountains.
Alona, general manger assistant in Hangzhou Water Show Culture Creation Development Company, said "the company seeks the Egyptian markets which represent very significant tourist hub in the region for entertainment."
The company that has carried out hundreds of projects across the world will finish the construction of dancing fountain in Cleopatra Mall in the outskirt of Cairo in October.
She said Egypt, as a consuming country, is full of malls and resorts and the people are fond of watching water shows.
"It's not just about music or dancing but we tell stories by water, fire and laser shows," she explained why her company will be favored by the Egyptian businessmen.
Meanwhile, Sharaf said Egypt as the gate for Africa will enhance the Chinese partnerships by discovering the African markets and promoting the Chinese external trade.
Instead of riding camels and horses for transferring products, today people have exhibitions that shortened the distance as "trade meeting points," he explained.
Sharaf added that China will import products and services with 10 trillion U.S. dollars in the coming five years naming it "a golden chance for Egyptian good quality products."
Egypt has been struggling for improving its economy that has been ailing after years of instability and insecurity due to the eruption of two uprising.
"We passed through economic difficult conditions, and we needed real partners to cooperate with us," said Mostafa Ibrahim, deputy chairman of the Committee for Developing Ties with China.
China is the perfect partner as it has the desire, funds and technologies for win-win cooperation, Ibrahim told Xinhua.
The current economic cooperation between Egypt and China is estimated by 30 billion dollars in investments, exportation, projects and financial deals, he noted.
He said the exhibition is a platform for showing Egyptian importers the high quality of the Chinese products.
