Kabul’s China Town to host expo to boost trade

Chinese businessmen in Kabul have said they plan to host a trade fair aimed at boosting bilateral trade ties between the two countries, China’s Global Times reported.

According to the report, China Town in Kabul will host Afghanistan’s first China-Afghanistan commodity technology fair, as well as the second China-Afghanistan business fair in April.

A source from China Town in Kabul told Global Times that arrangements for both expos have been made and invitations have been sent out to key individuals including Afghan government officials and Chinese businessmen.

“This form of exhibition is unprecedented, since no Chinese company has done it before,” Li Xijing, deputy general manager of China Town, told the Global Times on Sunday.

“We have sent invitations to the various Afghan government departments, and they have indicated that they would participate in the meeting at that time… there will be more participants expected,” Li said.

Organizers said they hope to build a bridge for direct communication between Chinese and Afghan enterprises and merchants and create a platform to bring together Chinese businesses.

About 95 percent of Afghan goods are imported, and Chinese goods account for 60-70 percent of all imports.