Representatives of 30 enterprises from Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan in southwest China, departed for Central Asia on Sunday, in the hope to expand markets and promote business cooperation.
This marks the second leg of the city's campaign to push their outstanding products worldwide this year which is set to increase international industrial partnerships.
The 30 enterprises engage in green building materials, agricultural technologies, and smart equipment, and their representatives' current trip will focus on Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
At 07:00 local time, the delegation gathered at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport, with the members' luggages laded with product samples and technical documents. Their flight was bound to Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan.
"We mainly carry with us stuffs about our technologies, equipment and materials. We hope to find ideal cooperation partners and projects in Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan," said Li Yunbing, president of Dujiangyan Xingwu Energy-saving Self-insulating Wall Materials Factory.
The agenda on their tight itinerary includes site visit to China-Uzbekistan Friendship Industrial Park, and business matchmaking events at the 2025 Chengdu-Central Asia industrial cooperation forum in Tashkent.
In Almaty of Kazakhstan, the delegation will explore large supermarkets and building materials markets plus relevant negotiation and match-making activities.
"The main purpose of our trip this time is that we want to do soil remediation and they over there are in badly need of such equipment. I think we will have some cooperation with local dealers," said Qin Yanbo, chairman of Chengdu Linshi Agriculture Co., Ltd.
"This time we go out with government departments and they will help find match for our resources. We hope to be able to communicate with the outside world in a better way and establish close cooperation with foreign partners sooner," said Liu Zhenxiu, head of marketing department of Sichuan Zhida Tianchuang Technology Co., Ltd.
The Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, orchestrator of the mission, has arranged three legs of such market promotional events.
This Central Asian trip is a follow-up of April's landmark visit to Saudi Arabia, where Chengdu enterprises secured 5.2 billion yuan (about 716 million U.S. dollars) in deals spanning renewable energy and healthcare.
A third mission will head to Germany and Denmark in late May to explore green hydrogen partnerships, as well as new opportunities in medicine and logistics.
30 Chengdu enterprises go to Central Asia for market
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
