Zhejiang Export Fair serves as important bridge to boost China-Vietnam trade ties

HANOI - "The Zhejiang Export Fair will serve as an important bridge to boost China-Vietnam bilateral trade ties," said Feng Wei, director of the Economic-Commerce Desk under China's Zhejiang Commerce Department.

Wei made the remark at the opening ceremony of the fifth export fair of Zhejiang, one of the most prosperous provinces in China, in Vietnam's capital city of Hanoi on Thursday.

According to the Chinese official, in order to further enhance reciprocal cooperation with ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, his department carried out a project to promote Zhejiang-made products to the world.

Under the project and with the support of Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), the fifth Zhejiang Export Fair has drawn participation of 114 Zhejiang companies.

More than 150 booths occupy 4,000 square meters and are showcasing three outstanding industries of electric and electronic machines, equipment; building materials, interior decoration, hardware; as well as textile materials and consumer products, said Wei.

To Ngoc Son, vice-general director of the MoIT's market department for the Asia-Pacific region, said at the opening ceremony that over the past years, Vietnam-China trade ties have enjoyed impressive growth.

According to Vietnam Customs, China continued to be Vietnam's largest trading partner with total import-export revenue of more than $66.6 billion in 2015, up 13.4 percent year-on-year.

Meanwhile, Son quoted China Customs as saying that Vietnam was the largest trading partner of China among ASEAN countries.

China's localities in the Yangtze Delta, including Zhejiang, with their advantages in transport convenience, have made important contributions to the development of Vietnam-China economic relations, said Son.

Vietnamese localities and Zhejiang provinces are complementary to each other in terms of economic structure. Specifically, Zhejiang has strengths in supporting industries, production of machines and materials for garments and textiles while Vietnam has strengths in exports of farm products, the Vietnamese official said.

With the intention of promoting the attractive feeling of "Zhejiang Made" products to Vietnam and Southeast Asia, the fair draws a great deal of attention from local companies and consumers.

Nguyen Mai Thuong, office head of the young enterprise association in Vietnam's northern Quang Ninh province, told Xinhua that her province borders China so Quang Ninh companies have taken particular care of the products picked to be displayed at the fair.

"On behalf of the association to be present here, I find many products with lovely designs, good quality, unique identities and reasonable prices, which will be suitable for Vietnamese consumers. As a woman, I love Zhejiang-made jewelry," said Thuong, while choosing a natural pearl necklace at the fair for herself.

Echoing her view, Thuong, Tran Thanh Tam, 24, from a local logistics company told Xinhua that her company has joined the fair several times.

"I come here with the purpose of seeking business opportunities with Zhejiang companies through direct dialogue. My company has many customers who are in need of importing Chinese products and then transporting them from Vietnam and vice versa," said Tam.

Also, while perusing the booths, Tam said, "The products here are diverse and well-shaped, which presents customers with a variety of choices."

As a director of a local firm looking for advanced technology at the fair, Le Van Thang, 46, told Xinhua that this is the first time he has taken part in the Zhejiang fair.

"I have just been introduced to an electric welding machine, made by a Zhejiang company. Despite having not used the product, I am impressed with its modern design and reasonable price at about $63 each," said Thang.

"The price is some 30 percent lower than that of the product I use now. However, price is not the only factor that matters to me. In addition, the product is supremely mobile, which is due to a new advanced technology. I am very interested in this product," the metal engineer, with some 20 years of field experience, told Xinhua.

"The fair also gives me a chance to have a close look at new developments in the metal engineering industry," Thang said, adding that on the last day of the fair on Saturday, he will come back to buy the product.

According to Feng Wei, director of the Economic-Commerce Desk under China's Zhejiang Commerce Department, from January to May 2016, his province earned $2.13 billion from exports to Vietnam, up 13.55 percent year-on-year.