Rishad leading strong biz delegation to Kunming kick-off
Friday, 6 June 2014 01:04
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Lanka at Chinese fair since its inception in 2007: Rishad
Sri Lanka expected to rule this year’s Kunming fair too
EDB facilitates one of the biggest Lankan B2B teams to Kunming
Bilateral trade with China tops $ 3.08 b
As bilateral trade with China crossed $ 3 b, one of the biggest-ever trade and business delegations from Sri Lanka is flying to grace the 22nd Kunming international Fair in China which kicks off today (6 June).
“Sri Lanka has been taking part in this event when it was held for the first time in Beijing in 2007. With one of the biggest EDB-supported delegations, we are hopeful of good results this year as well,” said Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen.
Bathiudeen was speaking to his officials prior to his departure on 4 June to take part in the second China-South Asia Expo and 22nd Kunming Fair held in Kunming, China. In this tour, the EDB functioning under Bathiudeen is facilitating 118 Lankan business reps – one of the biggest B2B delegations to Kunming from Sri Lanka – who are joining Bathiudeen and his team of five other officials.
The Kunming Fair has become one of the four top annual events (such as the Canton Fair) in China’s trade calendar. Due to its high prominence in the trillion dollar GDP nation, the Kunming Fair has become the second biggest annual fair in the South West China region. Sri Lanka has consistently been one of the strongest South Asian participants at this expo.
The 118 companies and businesses facilitated by EDB represent such diverse product and service sectors as tea, gem and jewellery, arts, crafts and handicrafts, coconut fibre, Ayurvedic and herbal products, and even gem cutting and polishing.
Sources from Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) said that 22 business reps from the chamber representing firms such as Asian Promoters, Rainbow Travels and Tours, Christ Gems and Jewellers and Senira Lanka are headed to Kunming at the second China-South Asia Expo and 22nd Kunming Fair which will commence tomorrow 6 June and will end on 10 June.
The fair is jointly hosted by China’s Ministry of Commerce, the Governments of Yunnan, Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Guangxi and Tibet, and Chengdu Municipal (People’s) Government.
The total trade turnover between China and South Asia rose to $ 92 b in 2012. According to the Department of Commerce, China’s trade with Sri Lanka stood at $ 3,084.22 m ($ 3 b) in 2013.
