China Fair organizers favor Pinoys

Organizers of the 104th session of China's Import & Export Fair in Guangzhou hope to attract Cebuano buyers and exhibitors to the three-week exhibition show, formerly known as Canton Fair.

The China Foreign Trade Center (CFTC) officials led by Deputy Director Ren Xiang Dong, were in Cebu yesterday to promote the event to Cebuano traders and manufacturers to participate in the fair, which is one of the world's largest exhibition shows.

"We hope more Filipinos could attend the fair," Xiang Dong said in a conference yesterday to promote the fair to Cebuano traders.

Last year, he said there were 2,353 Filipino buyers, who went to the fair, he said he expects an increased number of Filipinos to have interest in experiencing the largest trade and commerce fair in Asia.

The fair is set to open on October 15 to November 6, 2008, utilizing the 340,000 square-meter area of the Pazhou Complex in the City of Guangzhou, China.

The fair, which started in 1957, have gained the reputation that captures the eyes of the world's industrial and commercial circle.

Known as the world's window to trade and commerce, the fair is also a good venue to link with different traders' and manufacturers world wide, and expose brands, and products to the worldwide market.

"This fair is serving as China's connection to the outside world," Xiang Dong said.

Last year, the fair attracted over 200 thousand buyers from different countries worldwide. It also boasts of its strong linkages with over a thousand trade and commerce organizations around the world.

For his part, Cebuano businessman Julian Tan, said that although it is rewarding to attend the fair every year, as wide options of products are available, one of the concerns being raised is the triple or quadruple increase of hotel rates, within Guangzhou.

Tan, who owns Image Auto Parts here in Cebu, said that the expensive hotel rates would discourage participants especially from the Philippines, to join, unless the Chinese government would do something about it.

The fair is fully supported by the Ministry of Commerce of China (MofCom), in the People's Government of Guangdong Province.

Mandaue Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry spokesperson Tertullano D. Tolentino said although it is attractive to participate in the fair, which is one of the world's largest consumer product and services exhibitions, businessmen still has to seriously ponder upon it.

In 2007, the volume of trade between the Philippines and China recorded at US$60.62 billion, a 30.8 percent increase compared to the previous year.

In the first half of this year, trade volume between the two countries reached US$15.74 billion, a 13 percent improvement over the same period of last year.