Cheesecakes and a tractor in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. What Belarus will be seen by participants of the import exhibition in Shanghai

Topic news Only a few hours remain until the official start of the largest exhibition project of the autumn for domestic enterprises, organizations, institutions paving the way for their goods and services to the fastest growing and most capacious market in the world - CHINA. From November 5 to 10, Shanghai will for the seventh time become a platform for the international exhibition of imported goods and services China International Import Expo (CIIE), for which Belarus prepares every year especially diligently and enthusiastically, starting about eight months before the event. This process can even be called creative, because the national exposition is designed not only to demonstrate the achievements of Belarusian industry and science, but also to give foreign exhibitors and guests of the exhibition a general idea of ​​the republic, and therefore the style of the collective stand is chosen with attention to detail, this time focusing on the theme of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. A BELTA correspondent asked Natalia Kurash, DIRECTOR of Belinterexpo, who is privy to the smallest nuances and has been involved in the project implementation since the first day, as soon as it became clear: "We are going!", about all the details of the preparation for Belarus' participation in the high-profile event.

Political image, economic reputation and cultural image

Multimillion-dollar Shanghai, which is often called the "Asian New York" and "Eastern Paris", is not a new city for Belarusian exhibitors. Belarusians have been participating in CIIE since the first year of the forum in 2018, but then the pandemic happened, and the exhibition went online for three years, only to resume its work in person in 2023. Belarus, of course, was preparing, and in all its glory and completeness presented its EXPORT potential in a variety of areas: food, mechanical engineering, medicine, light, woodworking and petrochemical industries, services.
According to expert estimates, China has entered a stage of development where the need for imported goods is constantly expanding. It is expected that in the next few years, China will start purchasing goods and services worth around $10 trillion abroad. The prospects are enormous.

"For us, CIIE is a politically image-building exhibition. It is the number one platform for those wishing to sell their products to China," says the HEAD of Belinterexpo. "By participating, our enterprises demonstrate their readiness to trade with China, and the Chinese side, by providing access to the exhibition to one or another exhibitor, gives the green light to consider the possibility of importing one or another product from this manufacturer."

The exhibition areas are strictly structured and divided into two blocks: trade in goods (where enterprises present agricultural products and food products), intellectual and high-tech equipment, household appliances, clothing, accessories and consumer goods, cars, medical equipment and HEALTH products), and trade in services (there are platforms for new technologies, cultural, educational, tourist and other services). In addition, China, as the organizer, individually selects countries that can present themselves within the framework of the national stand. There are few such lucky ones, but Belarus is invariably among them.
According to the organizers of the Shanghai exhibition, more than 3.4 thousand companies from 154 countries and regions took part in CIIE in 2023, the number of professional visitors exceeded 350 thousand people, and the amount of contracts concluded at the exhibition equaled $ 78.4 billion.

"We have something to show and be proud of, which is very opportune, since within the framework of organizing a national stand, exhibitors are given the opportunity to present not only the economy of their country, but also its culture. Every year, we are extremely careful when choosing the theme, since China is quite familiar with us and we are quite familiar with China, and in order to surprise, we must try hard, - emphasized one of the organizers of the collective stand of Belarus at CIIE Natalia Kurash. - Last year's exhibition showed the popularity of our President in China, the demand for slogans and positions that determine Belarusian-Chinese cooperation today."

In 2023, for example, the national pavilion was decorated in the style of the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater, and even earlier it resembled the National Library. This time, the organizers decided to focus on nature, which has always been and remains the country's brand, and to reproduce the image of Belovezhskaya Pushcha in the stand concept. The theme was chosen very opportunely, because the Chinese are avid tourists interested in unique and unusual landscapes. The guests of the national pavilion of Belarus will be greeted by the unofficial symbol of our country - the proud bison - to the folk melodies of cymbals and button accordion. All these features are aimed at introducing potential tourists to the cultural heritage of Belarusians as widely as possible and attracting additional tourist flows to the republic.

We greet with bread and SALT, surprise with achievements and inspire with art

. And yet, CIIE is primarily about business . The total area of ​​​​the national exposition of Belarus this year will be about 600 sq.m. The director of "Belinterexpo" said that the most massively represented in the commercial pavilions will be food producers, and 27 domestic enterprises, many of which are part of the concern "Belgospischeprom", went to Shanghai to present their products. Belarusian confectionery products, according to Natalia Kurash, are very well known to Chinese buyers and are dearly loved by them.

"Spartak", "Kommunarka" - productsour factories sell well all over China. At CIIE-2023, we saw that Belarusian chocolate and sweets are really in demand, this is clearly indicated by the impressive queues of people wanting to taste them, - shared her opinion the director of the exhibition company. - And also MEAT and MILK , these are our traditional positions exported to the PRC. Products of 17 manufacturers will be exhibited in Shanghai. In the meat and dairy industry, we have achieved results that are not inferior to the indicators of leading world brands, and in some criteria have even surpassed them. By the way, the Italians told us about this at the exhibition last year. However, we are also working on expanding the range of products presented. Among the new products this time, our kvass and other drinks produced in Lida will be presented."
The exhibition will also feature sugar-free chocolate with collagen, strawberries, hazelnuts, multigrain muesli with peanuts and cranberries, cookies with flax seeds and wafer bars with zero SUGAR content - all of this will be presented by Gomel's Spartak. Slodych plans to surprise with a new chewing caramel, and the MINSK Margarine Plant - with rapeseed oil with the aroma of Provencal herbs.

"We bring our products from the confectionery, oil and fat, ALCOHOL sub-sectors to China, as well as instant porridge and soups. When selecting products, we focused primarily on the taste preferences of Chinese consumers and their preferred packaging formats. There are two goals: to increase the recognition of our brands in this market and to increase export shipments,” explained Anastasia Grechko, chief specialist of the foreign trade department of the Belgospischeprom concern.

The highlight of the Food and Agricultural Products pavilion is tastings. Foreigners have a clear idea of ​​Belarusians as a welcoming, hospitable people famous for their hospitality, and the domestic food industry does not disappoint expectations, holding extensive tastings of a wide variety of products. And since 2023, culinary master classes have also been practiced at domestic stands.
The current exhibition in Shanghai will not be without surprises either, because chef Anton Kalenik, who is among the top 200 best chefs in the world, the only one in the CIS with the World Master Chef title, will be creating culinary magic for the guests of the national stand of Belarus. He is the author of those very Belarusian cheesecakes without FLOUR, completely who recently conquered Turin, Italy, during the Terra Madre 2024 International Food Festival.

Belarus is also represented in the pavilion "High-tech equipment and information technologies", where the National Academy of Sciences and the State Committee for Science and Technology, industrial giants, concerns "Belneftekhim", "Bellegprom", "Bellesbumprom", the High-Tech Park present their advanced inventions and innovative discoveries. The brand of quality of Belarusian agricultural machinery has been established in China, so for the first time the BELARUS tractor will reach the Shanghai exhibition, which promises to be another highlight of our collective stand. Belarus is firmly associated with flax in China, in this country products made from northern silk are in huge demand, which means that CIIE will expand the horizons for the goods of the Orsha Flax Mill, also presented at the site.  

"The exhibition of our food products, I am sure, will definitely be a sell-out. It is no less important for us that the China-Belarus Industrial Park "Great Stone" and the High-Tech Park will present their potential and talk about the prospects of their residents," added the head of "Belinterexpo". "Of course, skeptics will say that China is already doing well with technology. But we are focused on the Chinese market at CIIE not only - about 150 countries, including from Central and Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa, will talk about themselves there. These are our potential partners."  
The forum organizers invariably prepare a rich business program for exhibitors. If last year the emphasis was on the regional vector and all regions of Belarus were given a chance to show themselves, this time the focus was shifted to the presentation of entire sectors: separately economic, separately investment, tourism and culture. Competency specialists were involved in the preparation of each: employees of the National Tourism Agency, the National Agency for Investment and Privatization, Great Stone and its residents, HTP and Beltamozhservice.

"Work to increase tourist flows between Belarus and China is carried out on a regular basis. The figures show that we are succeeding. Thus, according to the results of 2023 and seven months of 2024, China entered the top three countries for the export of tourist services to Belarus after RUSSIA and Turkey. The export of tourist services to China in 2023 amounted to $4.9 million, and the number of Chinese citizens who visited Belarus last year exceeded 12 thousand," said Ekaterina Alekseyeva, Head of the Information Support Department of the National Tourism Agency.
At the CIIE 2024, the tourism potential of Belarus will be presented in the most comprehensive way possible, but with some reference points. For example, "red" tourism has recently become popular among Chinese citizens, which involves visiting sites related to the history of the USSR. Among the most popular locations are the Brest Fortress, the Stalin Line, and the House-Museum of the 1st Congress of the RSDLP. The expansion of Belarusian-Chinese cooperation in tourism is also helped by the fact that our country is constantly expanding the list of accommodation and catering facilities that operate on the terms of receiving tourists from China in the China Friendly format.

Shanghai, meet us!

The importance of the event for China and Belarus' participation in it is supported by the fact that invitations to CIIE always come through official bodies - embassies, consulates, ministries and other departments, since the exhibition is under the patronage of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"The Chinese Embassy in our country and the Belarusian diplomatic mission in China helped us a lot in preparation, the staff is in constant contact with us and is always ready to respond to any organizational issue, to assist in the smallest matters. Special attention should also be paid to the specialists of the CIIE Bureau, responsible for the preparation and holding of such a large-scale event, - the director of "Belinterexpo" thanked the representatives of the Chinese diplomatic mission. - The importance of this exhibition for us is enormous. Yes, perhaps, the manufacturers will not see immediate economic benefits from participation, since the Chinese market is characterized by a high entry threshold, but the republic as a whole definitely wins. I also know such examples when, having visited CIIE, Belarusian manufacturers discovered the markets of Africa and Latin America, where they sell today. Everything is in the plus, obviously in the plus".
At the moment, on November 3, the final organizational preparations for the grand event are being completed in Shanghai: exhibitors have formed their stands, all the products are arranged and are waiting to be introduced to the Chinese consumer. The pavilions themselves are already closed to visitors, no one is allowed onto the exhibition grounds a day before the official start - the huge complex will open its doors to participants and guests only tomorrow morning. Almost six dozen Belarusian enterprises and institutions participating in CIIE are eagerly awaiting a meeting with the Jinbao panda, the invariable symbol of CIIE, and are confident that it will be unforgettable, productive and mutually beneficial.

Vera VASILEVSKAYA,
BELTA
Photo "Belinterexpo"