A top level conference, addressed by the President of the China Foreign Trade Centre, Mr Wang Runsheng who is visiting Malta until Saturday, and other speakers, will provide a unique opportunity for Maltese entrepreneurs and business leaders interested in developing trade with China.

The conference will be held tomorrow at the Chameleon Suite, Corinthia Palace, Attard at 10am and is expected to be concluded by around 1.00pm. It will explain how Maltese businesses can benefit from the forthcoming ‘China Import and Export Fair’, known internationally as ‘the Canton Fair’, held in Guangzhou City of China.

The 110th session of the Canton Fair attracted 210,468 overseas buyers from 210 countries and regions, with the business turnover amounted to 379 billion USD.

The 111th Session of the Canton Fair will be held between 15 April and 5 May, 2012. This edition will accommodate about 58,700 standard stands and over 20,000 Chinese exhibitors across a variety of sectors are participating in the Fair, which is attended by foreign trade delegations from all over the world. Since its inception 55 years ago, the fair has been a major catalyst for international trade in and out of China.

“China is the world’s fastest-growing economy, with growth rates averaging 10% over the past few decades. Yet the opportunities opening up in China have so far, been largely untapped by Maltese business. Events such as the Canton Fair, which is a major event on the business calendar, present an opportunity for all importers of Chinese products, exporters of finished goods and components, traders, hoteliers, in fact anyone seriously considering doing business with China,” stated Mr Liu Meikun, Commercial Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Malta. “Business around the world are discovering the very substantial potential China can offer, why not Malta?”

Apart from Mr Liu Meikun, the Conference will also be addressed by Mr Maurice Mizzi, Chairman of the Maltese-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, which is also supporting this initiative.