Interview: The Expo has "opened the eyes" of many Scottish enterprises - Liu Zhongyou, a representative of the Scottish International Development Agency in China

Source: Xinhua Net

London, October 25 (Xinhua) -- Exclusive interview: The Expo has "opened the eyes" of many Scottish enterprises - Liu Zhongyou, a representative of the Scottish International Development Agency in China

Xinhua News Agency reporter Sun Xiaoling

Liu Zhongyou, the representative of the British International Development Agency in China, said in a video interview with Xinhua News Agency a few days ago that participating in the China International Import Expo is an excellent way to understand the Chinese market and contact potential customers and partners, which has "opened the eyes" of many Scottish enterprises.

The Scottish International Development Agency, the British Scottish Government's agency responsible for international trade and investment, will lead 37 Scottish companies to participate in the fourth CIIE this year, which is also the second consecutive year that the Scottish International Development Agency has led the team to participate in the exhibition.

Liu Zhongyou told reporters that participating in the Expo has opened a "window" for Scottish enterprises from two aspects, that is, to let Scottish enterprises better understand the Chinese market, and second, to contact potential customers and partners.

Liu Zhongyou said that at the Expo last year, Scottish enterprises and himself negotiated with a number of provincial delegations. China is a vast country that is difficult to travel, and the Expo provides a perfect platform for Scottish businesses to truly reach out to businesses from different parts of China. "It was an eye-opening experience for Scottish businesses."

"With the COVID-19 pandemic restricting people coming and going, CIIE provides a powerful 'hybrid form'. Many of our companies are able to have virtual meetings with potential Chinese customers, which is also a very positive engagement. Liu Zhongyou said.

He said the Chinese market was "absolutely important" to Scottish businesses and that "we are eager for exports to China to return to pre-pandemic levels as soon as possible".

Liu Zhongyou said that companies from both sides can cooperate in "every field.". "Most of our exports to China are in the food and beverage sector, with whiskey, salmon and other seafood products alone accounting for around a third of Scotland's exports to China. Meanwhile, the life sciences, healthcare, digital services, fintech and energy sectors are all industries where Scotland has close ties to China. ”

Liu Zhongyou is full of confidence in the prospects of cooperation between the two companies. "Looking back at last year, China's economy took the lead in recovering, and we can see the rebound of China's retail market, especially with the help of e-commerce, becoming a market for the rapid flow of goods and services."

Liu Zhongyou said that not only for Scotland, but also for the rest of the world, the resilience of the Chinese market will become more important after the epidemic.