A worthy sacrifice for a bigger cause

Though it is now possible for foreigners to enter China, international travel in the new norm comes with a new set of requirements.

For instance, those entering the country must undergo a 14-day quarantine, measure their temperature twice a day, and take multiple nucleic acid tests.

For Roy van den Hurk, general manager of products at Milk New Zealand Dairy, traveling to China also means having to endure jetlag while dealing with a packed schedule, waking up at 3 am local time to communicate with his colleagues back home, and missing the rolling farmlands back home while being cooped up in his hotel room in Shanghai.

Despite this inconvenience, van den Hurk has no qualms adhering to the local pandemic prevention and control measures just so he can attend the 3rd China International Import Expo.

"I've always had this fundamental belief that any business always revolves around customers. And our focus is on the China market. That's where customers are," he said.

"As such, it's very important that I come here in person. Fundamentally, you need to look after your customers, otherwise they won't look after you."

To cope with the quarantine, van den Hurk has devised a plan: stick to a routine, keep busy with work, and exercise regularly.

Among the highlights of the day, he added, is hearing the knock on his door by service staff who bring him his Chinese meals.

Another foreigner who has had to undergo the two-week quarantine is Frank Hammes, the CEO of Swiss air quality technology company IQAir. To him, "keeping tidy and not overworking" is the key to enduring this period.

"You will need to preserve some sense of normalcy because there is no 'nine-to-six' routine – you literally work around the clock. Also, remember to weave exercise into the schedule and try to keep things tidy because you don't have to," he said.

One unexpected perk for the Swiss is the stunning view of Shanghai's skyline from his hotel room.

"Since you are not allowed to leave the hotel room, being able to get connected to the outside through this large window is a luxury," he said.

Unlike Milk New Zealand Dairy which has been to the previous two editions of the expo, IQAir is making a debut this year. With China being one of IQAir's fastest-growing markets, Hammes said that his presence at the expo could help the company capitalize on opportunities.

"We made the decision last year to participate. When you make a commitment, it's important that we are serious about it," he said.

"It's very important for me to be the person at the forefront, and certain things need to be experienced in order for you to learn."

Both van den Hurk and Hammes said they were impressed by the efficient administrative process and logistics arrangement – it took roughly 10 days from visa application to arrival in Shanghai - that were expedited because of the CIIE.

"Personally, I agree with what China is doing. Once they remove the community spread of the virus, the highest risk of re-contamination of the population is at the border. So I believe having tough border measures is the only way that you are going to keep the virus out of the population and get places running properly," said van den Hurk.

"Right now, you cannot argue with the success of these measures - China is one of the very few places in the world that has this pandemic under control. So I do think it's a success story for China," Hammes said.

Upon checking out from the quarantine hotel on Nov 5 - the opening day of the expo - van den Hurk is heading straight to the CIIE venue to oversee the company's launch of an array of new products and facilitate the forging of new partnerships with local enterprises.

"You get to listen to customers and suppliers and distributors as to what they would like to have. This is good for product development and it shows how we can help the consumers in China," he said.

Hammes is also looking to make new local contacts during the CIIE. He noted that China is such a diverse space with numerous provinces as well as second- and third-tier cities that many people in Europe or the United States don't know how important they are.

"We need to extend our reach, and it is important that we hear from the visitors at the expo about the opportunities in their provinces or cities," he said.

"You can have many video conference calls or WeChat messages or emails, but ultimately, we are people who love being around other people."