'Powerful market with strong economic growth' provides motivation and opportunity for BRICS nations' entrepreneurs

BEIJING - Businessman Igor Gorshkov opened a Russian sausage factory in Suifenhe, in northeastern China's Heilongjiang province, earlier this summer after visiting the Chinese border city last year.

The decision proved extremely popular with Chinese consumers.

Believing there is huge market potential for his products, Gorshkov and his friend Andrei Azarnov opened their factory on "Russian Startup Street" in the city.

The company enjoys free rent for three years and a one-stop business registration service.

"Our business has been developing smoothly," says Russian entrepreneur Azarnov.

Their sausages have been sold to many parts of China, including the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and Jilin and Shandong provinces. The street is home to 19 Russian businesses, with more to be opened.

As one of the five BRICS countries, China remains attractive to foreign investors, given its huge market and eye-catching economic growth.

Like Gorshkov and Azarnov, many entrepreneurs from BRICS countries have been attracted to China to pursue their dreams.

They are also hoping for closer cooperation among the five BRICS member nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

"The biggest motivation (to come to China) was the huge consumer market, a powerful market with strong economic growth," says Moises Oliveira, CEO of Guangzhou China-Brazil Commerce Co.

Oliveira first visited China in 2010 to attend the Canton Fair in Guangdong province, to learn about selling Chinese commodities in Brazil. He has attended the trade fair every year since.

Last May, he founded his company with five partners.

"We saw a great opportunity in the Chinese market. We are here with a long-term vision," Oliveira says.

"We continue to take Chinese-made products to serve our customers in Brazil and now the Chinese have the opportunity to buy the best from Brazil," he adds.

Lyle Charles Laxton, CEO of Laxton Group, which is based in South Africa, shares the same view.

The business environment in China is becoming easier to navigate year by year, Laxton says, adding that Beijing is working toward making it easier for global companies to invest in and establish a business.

The State Council has unveiled a series of measures to ensure the steady growth of foreign investment and making the market more law-based, internationalized and convenient.

Founded in 2004 in Johannesburg, South Africa, Laxton Group moved its technology and production headquarters to Guangzhou, Guangdong province, in 2009, where its factory now has 200 permanent employees.

The group specializes in manufacturing self-service kiosk terminals for governments and corporations. Last year, it received high-tech certification from the Guangdong provincial government.

"The Chinese government has business-friendly incentives and policies for high technology companies and is proactive and helpful," Laxton says.

"The supply chain in China supports our business and allows us to create and manufacture products that are competitive on a global stage," he adds.

According to Laxton, southern China is without question the biggest electronics production hub in the world.

Being positioned in this region allows for an effective springboard into the global market.

"The legal framework and judicial system is fair and actually works," the African entrepreneur says. "In general, it has protected us when we required protection, which is encouraging for any foreign investor."

This feeds into the theme of the ninth BRICS Summit, which will be held in the southeastern Chinese coastal city of Xiamen from Sept 3 to 5. "BRICS: Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future" will be the key theme.

According to CEO Oliveira, his company plans to expand to other BRICS countries, especially India and Russia.

"I really hope BRICS countries can continue their strong ties and maintain the cooperation among the nations," he says.

China has undergone remarkable changes during the past decade.

"Seven years ago, mobile payment and bike-sharing facilities were not so commonly seen, but now Alipay and Mobike bicycles are everywhere," Oliveira says.

Laxton suggests that a transparent, web-based tender submission and bidding portal should be established for projects funded by the BRICS New Development Bank, so that companies can compete for projects in a standardized and consistent manner.

This would make it easier for companies to access BRICS-related projects and promote trade and cooperation.

Vivek Prabhakar, an Indian who runs a travel agency in Beijing that sends Chinese tourists to India and other South Asian countries, expects the BRICS Summit to bring more exchange in culture, tourism and business to achieve mutual development.

Xinhua

(China Daily European Weekly 08/25/2017 page28)