Their remarks came as some 5,600 exhibitors joined seven “mega” trade fairs at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai and AsiaWorld-Expo, which kicked off on Monday and would run until Thursday.
The trade shows cover housewares, fashion, printing and packaging, premium gifts, as well as intellectual properties.
First-time exhibitors from the mainland included those from provinces such as Xinjiang, Shanxi, Zhejiang and Jiangsu and cities like Wuhan and Quanzhou.
Mary Ma – founder of the Hangzhou-based Textile Library, which focuses on using technologies to give a modern touch to fabrics with Chinese features – said she hoped the move to join a trade show this time, her company’s second this year, could lead to more international exposure.
“My inspiration mainly came from these traditional Chinese style patterns, and I hope to present them in a different way, so I created these new series,” she told RTHK.
“I hope that through the trade fairs this time, we can bring the new series all over the world because we might encounter more foreign buyers here, thereby enabling Chinese material brands to go global.”
Founded in 2015, the company also serves as a non-profit platform to “archive” some 5,000 fabrics, including those that can change colours based on different lighting and temperatures, that incorporate what she describes as “novel technologies”.
When asked if she has observed any increase in inquiries from overseas buyers, following a wave of “Chinamaxxing” or “Becoming Chinese” social media trends in Western countries, Ma preferred to stress that “it’s important to also learn more about Western lifestyles – so as to be able to expand there”.
“Many people thought the East was full of mystery or exotic charms, but from a business perspective you must try to understand their way of life too,” she said.
“I don’t merely hope that these raw materials and products from China will be tourist-centric items, I hope they can truly be integrated into people’s daily lives overseas.”
“I hope to become one of the leaders in the lifestyle space and let people experience that the movement is towards being ‘Creative in China’ now, instead of ‘Made in China’.”
The company is also collaborating with Thailand weaving factory, Thai Num Choke Textile, to explore opportunities in Southeast Asia.
Thai Num’s assistant manager Kamin Pongsarojanavit said: “I found a lot of interesting fabrics, special fabrics that we don’t have in Thailand or that we don’t have the capability to produce in Thailand, so we’re starting to import some of her fabrics in the local market.”
Wang Jinxiang, chief executive of Shanxi Silin Agricultural Development, a young company that develops apricot fruit wine, said the company hopes to further expand overseas as well as in the Hong Kong market.
“In fact, the apricots from our local Yanggao county are quite famous in the domestic market and are ranked among the top in the whole country,” she said.
“We are becoming more and more confident and we have already exported products to Sweden and France. We hope the events this time can further expand our market scale.”
With the company chalking up 57 million yuan in sales in the second half of last year, Wang said around 40 percent of sales now come from overseas and that the firm is now in the process of striking deals with a South Korean company.
When asked if the latest uncertainty in the Middle East might affect business planning and development, Wang acknowledged concerns over shipping costs but said the European market is still full of potential, “especially in France, as they have a strong appreciation for such refined, original and traceable products”.
“Our wine’s aroma and taste also suit their dietary preferences, and some are used by Michelin-starred chefs there to match with their cuisines,” Wang said.
