China-South Asia Expo concludes

KATHMANDU, Nov 6: The China-South Asia Expo organized at Bhrikuti Mandap exhibition hall in Kathmandu has concluded on Sunday. A total 60,000 people visited the 4-day-long expo, the organizers said. The expo had featured an array of products including technological, agricultural, and other business products from China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, and Pakistan.

This was the first time that the expo, a successful regional trade event, was held outside China.

Rajan Adhikari, a trader showcasing equipment of surveillance systems from China’s Dahua Technology, said: “Visitors showed a very good response to the Chinese security technology.”

He further said: “We are not selling our goods here. We are only taking orders, and we have had orders for surveillance system equipment from many business houses.”

“The expo received 60,000 visitors, which is a little lower than the target, however, it has been a successful event,” said Rakesh Kumar Mahato, event manager for China-South Asia Expo, Nepal.

“According to preliminary reports, the total transaction of the expo has been more than Rs 50 million. Detailed report of the expo is yet to be prepared,” added Mahato.

The exhibitors that Republica talked with on Saturday and Sunday said that they have expected business level transactions to grow after the expo. Yadav Gautam, representative of Nepal-Myanmar Friendship Council, who brought handicrafts and pickle items from Myanmar in the expo, said he has received good feedback from the visitors.

“Visitors have shown good response to our clothes. Winter is coming and we aim to expand our garment business in Nepal through this exhibition,” said Arifur Rahman, chairman of AS APPARELS, a clothing company from Bangladesh.

Shreya Mainali, representative of Ho-Good Coffee from China, said: “The visitors have shown positive response to our products, although sales have been a bit low. However, the expo has very much helped in advertising our products in Nepal.”

Participants of the expo said that they cashed on the opportunity of promoting their businesses. Talking to Republica, Sharada Limbu, representative of Kanchanjungha Tea Estate and Research Center, said: “I have felt that the expo has become a hub for traders like us in the region to help enhance our businesses.”

Limbu also suggested that such expos be organized in Nepal on a regular basis in collaboration with other countries in order to promote Nepali products.

The organizers had provided discount offers in arrays of products.

“We got to see new things in the expo. There were many new technologies from China here that we were not familiar with,” Binod Shah, a visitor from Kanchanpur, said: “This has been a good forum for people like us.”

Rajendra Nakarmi, secretary general of China-South Asia Secretariat, said: “The date and venue for another edition of the expo has not been decided yet. We are soon holding a meeting of the secretariat and participant nations for that. Our focus will be on bringing the expo again to Nepal.”