Chinese import expo boosts benefits of BRI cooperation

SHANGHAI -- As the seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE) neared its close on Sunday, a booth featuring coffee from Timor-Leste remained bustling with visitors despite the crowds at the expo venue thinning out.

Kept busy by a steady supply of coffee enthusiasts, Su Lei, one of the founders of Maodian Coffee and general manager for China market, Timor-Leste's coffee company CHISHATIL, skillfully prepared pour-over coffee while introducing both the brand and the country.

"Timor-Leste is an island nation in Southeast Asia and a country participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Coffee beans are one of its popular specialties," Su touted loudly, while brimming with visible excitement.

Renowned for purely organic and tasty Kopi Luwak, Timor-Leste's coffee -- featured in the CIIE for seven consecutive years -- has evolved from a humble exhibit to a sought-after specialty in the Chinese market.

"Starting from a small display stand, by the seventh expo, we've built a full coffee industry chain," said Bei Lei, Su's partner.

For an increased number of businesspeople and farmers in Timor-Leste, the aroma of coffee has further evolved into a "bridge" connecting the agricultural technology and promising market in China with their premium agricultural products.

From Egyptian spices to Syrian rose essential oil and Tanzanian honey, the just-concluded seventh CIIE was packed with a dazzling array of specialty products from BRI countries.

Since its inception in 2018, this expo has been held annually in China's commercial hub of Shanghai, and has witnessed numerous "small but beautiful" trade and development projects of BRI countries evolve from concept to reality. As a public good for the whole world, the expo is continually boosting the benefits of the BRI.

Through years of participation in the CIIE, Su and Bei, have managed to transition from regular exhibitors to key traders, tirelessly promoting Timor-Leste's coffee and pushing for the establishment of a Timor-Leste pavilion in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone.

"Over time, we realized that beyond expanding production, we needed to strengthen the industry and supply chains," said Su. "By this seventh CIIE, we've successfully established a dedicated roasting facility for Timor-Leste's coffee in Kunshan, east China's Jiangsu Province, and launched a new brand."

Kunshan, a county-level city near Shanghai and China's largest coffee hub, was named the "Capital of the International Coffee Industry" by the International Institute of Coffee Tasters in May. The city has drawn investments from global coffee giants, including Starbucks, Luckin Coffee, and Louis Dreyfus.

"To further establish a presence in the Chinese market and to prepare for this year's CIIE, we recently launched an online store on Alibaba's Taobao platform, where we introduced our products in sync with the expo," said Bei. "During this year's CIIE, many customers discovered and began following our online store."

Seizing the opportunity created by the import expo, coffee beans from Timor-Leste are boarding the fast trains of China's high-quality development.

The coffee industry is an economic pillar of Timor-Leste. As a major export destination for Timorese coffee, China has supplied funds, personnel and technologies in recent years to help the country restore coffee trees and improve the quality of its raw beans.

Similar stories also unfolded at the CIIE booths of businesses from other BRI countries.

Jeweler, Aranya Lohakitthawurn, and her husband exhibited at the CIIE for the first time this year. Based in Bangkok, they own and operate Sphere, a jewelry manufacturing and retail business. Previously, they had only participated in jewelry trade shows in China, making this their debut at a major and comprehensive expo.

Every day brings new clients and fresh surprises. Shanghai is the perfect place to expand our business, the CIIE newcomer told Xinhua.

This jewelry business now has ambitious plans to enter China's vast market. Sphere brought over a hundred jewelry pieces including necklaces, bracelets, rings and pendants adorned with the likes of rubies, emeralds and tourmalines to the 2024 CIIE -- grabbing the attention of many potential buyers.

"Many BRI countries are renowned as sources of gems and jades, while others are leaders in cutting-edge processing techniques," said Chen Yu, CEO of China Gems and Jade Exchange.

According to Chen, over the seven years of the CIIE, an exhibition mechanism has been established, benefiting from the support of industry associations in many BRI countries.

"The gem and jade sector has seen robust trading, with some unique small and medium-sized businesses among returning exhibitors experiencing growth in their operations in China," Chen added.

According to Bei Lei, China-Timor-Leste cooperation has created more opportunities for local farmers to change their own destinies, allowing them to sell coffee and other agricultural products globally at better prices.

"On the other hand, we are also contributing to BRI," she added. "Timor-Leste's coffee itself is a successful example over the seven years of the CIIE, with China and the world sharing a higher-quality, better future."