Foreign trade firms in China boost orders by expanding overseas markets

Foreign trade companies in the coastal Chinese provinces of Shandong and Guangdong are expanding into diversified international markets to secure and even increase their order volumes despite a complex external environment and the challenges presented by U.S. tariffs.

A shoe-making company in Wenshang County, east China's Shandong Province, is busy preparing to ship 30,000 pairs of sports shoes to Europe.

The U.S. market has historically accounted for nearly 30 percent of the company's export orders, so the tariffs did cause delivery challenges for many orders. Nevertheless, the company has managed to increase its overall order volume despite these difficulties.

"We have expanded into more than a dozen international markets, including Australia, Turkey, Singapore, and Malaysia, achieving a 25-percent increase in overseas orders. Meanwhile, by tapping into domestic market potential and meeting local consumer demand, we have grown our domestic market share by 15 percent, significantly reducing our over-reliance on external markets," said Du Ji, the company's production manager.

The company has also developed differentiated products tailored to the specific needs of different markets. This year, its newly launched anti-static and anti-slip products have won favor in the European Union market thanks to their advanced technology.

In Zhongshan City, south China's Guangdong Province, an appliance company is experiencing strong demand for its portable toaster ovens, with customers urgently requesting faster deliveries.

"Orders from customers for April, May, and June may continue to decrease, and in this regard, our U.S. customers are actually more eager to push the orders forward than we are," said Liang Ruiji, deputy general manager of the company.

Responding to emerging challenges in foreign trade, the local commerce department in Zhongshan has implemented a series of policies to stabilize foreign trade and drive growth, helping enterprises secure new orders and expand into new markets.

In the first quarter of this year, Zhongshan's total foreign trade import and export value reached 68.95 billion yuan (around 9.56 billion U.S. dollars), marking a year-on-year increase of 10.5 percent.

Foreign trade firms in China boost orders by expanding overseas markets

Giant pandas Chen Xing and Xiao Yue from China officially made their public debut in Malaysia on Saturday.

In a ceremony marking the event at the Giant Panda Conservation Center (GPC) at Zoo Negara, the country's national zoo in Selangor, the pair met eager visitors following their quarantine and acclimatization.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was the guest of honor. In his remarks at the ceremony, Anwar thanked China for the cooperation in the conservation of giant pandas, noting that they are hugely popular with the Malaysian public.

The Malaysian side has prepared high-quality bamboo for the giant pandas to help them better adapt to local life. The two pandas are now in good health and have fully acclimated to their new home.

Many local visitors waited in long lines and braved crowds for their chance to catch a glimpse of the pair.

"It's such a surprise to see a giant panda. We looked forward to it and had waited for a long time outside," said a visitor.

Many visitors said it was their first time to see a giant panda.

"We feel very happy because for me it's my first-time experience to see them in real life. [They are] very cute and very big also. So, I wish all of them well since they came to Malaysia," said a visitor.

"I hope they will be healthy and happy, feeling at home here," said another visitor.

China and Malaysia launched their first round of international cooperation on giant panda conservation in 2014.

Xing Xing and Liang Liang were the first pair of giant pandas sent to Malaysia in 2014 and completed an 11-year stay in Malaysia before returning to China last May.

Malaysia welcomed the arrival of new pair of giant pandas Chen Xing and Xiao Yue last November. This couple is to stay in the Southeast Asian country for 10 years.

New giant panda couple makes public debut in Malaysia