Xinjiang - The 15th Kashi, Central and South Asia Commodity Fair commenced on August 15 in Kashi, Xinjiang.

The 15th Kashi, Central and South Asia Commodity Fair （Photo by Xuelin Mu）

Kashi, as a significant hub of the core economic zone south of Xinjiang along the Silk Road and an important connection point on the Asia-Europe route, is a crucial window of China to the West. So, the Kashi, Central and South Asia Commodity Fair has always been appealing to companies from home and countries in Central and South Asia, and even from Europe, since 2005.

This year, the fair has attracted over 1,300 companies from 40 countries and regions. Focusing on digitization, high tech, new energy, agricultural and livestock products, and specialty industries, this Kashi, Central, and South Asia Commodity Fair has three core sections: investment and cooperation, international trade, and domestic trade.

Foreign exhibitors are making a deal with customers (photo by Xuelin Mu)

At the fair, various kinds of products were exhibited, and exhibitors and customers were busy negotiating deals. Omar, who was selling hand-made scarves produced in India at the fair, told us that it was the second time their products were displayed there. “Kashi is a beautiful place with delicious food and friendly people. On one hand, participating in the fair gives us a chance to know this city better; on the other hand, China has provided us with lots of opportunities to present our products to Chinese customers. Besides this fair, our products have also been exhibited at other fairs and expos like the China (Shenzhen) International Culture Industries Fair. Our sales during these fairs and expos in China are rather good.”

The representative from Uniconf is negotiating a deal with a local purchaser (Photo by Xuelin Mu)

Uniconf is a time-honored confectionery company in Russia. It’s their first time to present their products at the Kashi, Central, and South Asia Commodity Fair. Xinjiang has a suitable business environment for importing food, and with a deeper relationship between China and Russia,  they find that Russian products are popular in Xinjiang, a representative from Uniconf said. In their opinion, the fair will allow them to start businesses with local dealers and supermarkets in Xinjiang, promote their brands and products, and build up their reputation among local customers.

Located in the south of Xinjiang, Kashi borders multiple countries. Since its inception in 2005, the  Fair has attracted over 38,000 enterprises from 56 countries and regions, with total deals exceeding 480 billion yuan. It has gradually become an important platform for deepening regional cooperation and promoting connectivity between China and Central and South Asia.