AT THAT TIME, THE SCOPE OF BUSINESS WAS LIMITED. THE BUSINESS STARTED WITH EXPORT CORPORATIONS LOCATED IN SHANGHAI. WE STARTED BUSINESS WITH CHINA NATIONAL MACHINERY IMPORT & EXPORT CORPORATION, CHINA NATIONAL METALS & MINERALS IMPORT & EXPORT CORPORATION, CHINA NATIONAL LIGHT INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS IMPORT & EXPORT CORPORATION, CHINA NATIONAL CHEMICALS IMPORT & EXPORT COPORATION, ALL LOCATED AT 27, CHUNGSHAN ROAD (E-1) SHANGHAI.
WE ARE THE FIRST COMPANY IN PAKISTAN WHO INTRODUCED MANY CHINESE PRODUCTS VIZ HAND TOOLS, MEASURING TOOLS, CUTTING TOOLS, MACHINE TOOLS, POWER TOOLS, BUILDERS HARDWARE, LIGHT INDUSTRIAL PORDUCTS, RUBBER BELTS, FASTNERS MAKING MACHINES, RUBBER PROCESSING MACHINES, WIRE ROPE MAKING MACHINES ETC. ETC.
AFTER WORKING FOR SIX YEARS THROUGH CORRESPONDENCE, WE VISITED CANTON FAIR FOR THE FIRST TIME IN APRIL 1968 AND STAYED IN DONG FANG HOTEL FOR NEARLY 20 DAYS AND JUST OPPOSITE THE HOTEL WAS OLD FAIR BUILDING. THIS WAS THE TIME WHEN PAKISTAN AIRLINES USED TO FLY TO CANTON WHERE THEY HAD AN OFFICE IN THE DONG FANG HOTEL BUILDING.
AFTER OUR PLANE LANDED AT THE AIRPORT, WE WERE WELCOMED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CHINESE EXPORT CORPORATIONS AND RED GUARDS WHO TOOK US TO THE AIRPORT BUILDING AND AFTER ENTERTAINING US WITH TEA, READ QUOTATIONS FROM RED BOOK OF CHAIRMAN MAO TSE TUNG. THEREAFTER, WE WERE TAKEN IN A BUS TO THE DONG FANG HOTEL WHERE WE STAYED DURING OUR VISIT TO THE CANTON FAIR. ON REGISTRATION, RECEPTIONIST AT THE HOTEL USED TO TAKE OUR PASSPORTS WHICH WERE KEPT IN THE LOCKER AND RETURNED AT THE TIME OF OUR DEPARTURE. THE FIRST PROCESS OF ATTENDING THE FAIR WAS REGISTRATION WHICH WAS CHECKED AT ENTRANCE OF FAIR BUILDING.
WE USED TO ATTEND THE FIRST SESSION OF FAIR FROM 9 AM TO 11:30AM AND WITH INTERVAL OF THREE HOURS WHICH TIME WE USED TO SPEND IN THE HOTEL, WE ATTENDED 2ND SESSION OF FAIR FROM 2:30PM TO 5:30PM. BEFORE THE START OF BUSINESS DISCUSSIONS, QUOTATIONS FROM RED BOOK WERE READ BY REPRESENTATIVES OF EXPORT CORPORATIONS AND SAME THING WAS REPEATED HALF AN HOUR BEFORE CLOSE OF FIRST SESSION OF THE FAIR AND AGAIN DURING THE SECOND SESSION OF FAIR, SAME PROCESS WAS REPEATED. THIS WAS THE TIME OF CULTURAL REVOLUTION.
DURING OUR SPARE TIME, WE USED TO ENTERTAIN OURSELVES BY PLAYING INDOOR GAMES LIKE TABLE TENNIS AND FOOTBALL IN THE LAWNS OF HOTEL BUILDING. WE DID NOT MOVE OUT OF THE HOTEL DURING OUR STAY. HOWEVER, ON EACH SUNDAY, ALL THE VISITORS WERE TAKEN TO THE MOUNTAINS IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF CANTON BY BUSES, WHERE WE WERE SHOWN VILLAGE LIFE AND COMMUNES AND ENTERTAINED WITH VARIETY OF FOOD AT LUNCH. THIS WENT ON FOR SOME YEARS.
WITH THE EXPANSION OF BUSINESS, MORE AND MORE BRANCHES OF EXPORT CORPORATIONS STARTED PARTICIPATING IN THE CANTON FAIRS. CECF AUTHORITIES ALSO KEPT ON EXPANDING FACILITIES BY SETTING UP MORE AND MORE BOOTHS FOR THE NEW EXPORT CORPORATIONS AND LATER ON SHIFTING TO NEW BUILDINGS.
AT THE SAME TIME, A NEW BUILDING WAS BUILT IN DONG FANG HOTEL AND WITH PASSAGE OF TIME AND INCREASE IN NUMBER OF VISITORS MANY NEW HOTELS, THREE STAR, FOUR STAR AND FIVE STARS HAVE BEEN BUILT ALONGWITH ALL KIND OF ENTERTAINMENT FACILITIES FOR THE VISITORS.
IN THE BEGINNING, IT WAS QUITE DIFFICULT TO GET ROOM IN DONG FANG HOTEL. THE VISITORS PREFERED TO STAY IN DONG FANG HOTEL AS SAME WAS JUST OPPOSITE TO THE FAIR BUILDING. HOWEVER, LATER ON MANY NEW HOTELS WERE BUILT AROUND THE FAIR BUILDING WHICH HAS PROVIDED LOT OF COMFORT TO THE VISITORS AND THERE WAS GOOD CHOICE OF STAYING IN OTHER HOTELS BESIDES THE OLD DONG FANG HOTEL. INORDER TO FACILITATE THE WORKING OF EXPORT CORPORATIONS AND VISITORS, THE CECF AUTHORITIES KEPT ON MAKING CHANGES IN THE SET UP OF BOOTHS ALMOST EVERY TIME, BUT THE BEST CHANGE, SOFAR, SEEN IS BY SETTING UP A NEW FAIR BUILDING AT PAZOU WHICH HAS BEEN SET UP ON MODERN LINES, THE FAIR BUILDING HAS A GOOD NUMBER OF BOOTHS PROPERLY SET UP, BUSINESS CENTERS WITH FACILITY OF FAX, E-MAIL, INTERNET, PHOTO COPY ETC ETC, TELEPHONE BOOTHS AND MOBILE PHONE COMPANIES DESKS PROVIDING ALL KIND OF FACILITY TO VISITORS UNDER ONE ROOF, BANKS, AIRLINES OFFICES, GOOD NUMBER OF RESTAURANTS HAVE BEEN SET UP. ALL THESE THINGS PROVIDE COMPLETE FACILITIES TO THE VISITORS. SHUTTLE BUS SERVICE IS AVAILABLE IN ALL THE HOTELS. LOT OF TAXI CABS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE. THERE IS TRAINED STAFF WHO FACILITATE THE VISITORS TO THEIR MAXIMUM AND EVEN SOMEONE IS THE FIRST TIME VISITOR, HE ALSO FEELS FAMILIAR TO THE PLACE AND IS NEVER A STRANGER. FRIENDLY LOCATION MAPS ARE AVAILABLE. THE MOST ADVANCED AND DRASTIC ADDITION IS ‘SCAN’, THIS SYSTEM FACILITATE THE VISITORS TO LOOK FOR THE BEST SELLER FOR THEIR PRODUCT, ONE CAN SOURCE, THE BEST BRAND / MANUFACTURER / PRODUCT, WHICH SUITS THEM. THIS ALL IS A CHANGE MADE BY THE CECF AUTHORITIES FROM TIME TO TIME. THEY HAVE GATHERED MORE THAN 100,000 SUPPLIERS TO A ‘CD’, WHICH IS HANDY AND HELPFUL TO ALL, DUE TO ITS FRIENDLY USAGE. THE NEW PAZOU BUILDING IS A LANDMARK BY CECF AUTHOROTIES, WHICH ACCOMODATES MORE THAN 100,000 EXHIBITORS AND THOUSANDS OF VISITORS. AT THE SAME TIME NEW AIRPORT BUILDING HAS BEEN BUILT WHICH GIVES ‘MODERN LOOK’.
AS THE TIME PASSED THE SYSTEM OF REGISTRATION ALSO ADVANCED, THIS IS ALSO A BIG ACCHIVEMENT OF CECF AUTHORITIES. IN THE OLD DAYS, WE USED TO STAND INTO THE QUE TO GET OURSELVES REGISTERED FOR THE FAIR, WHICH WAS CUMBERSOME, LATER SOME HOTELS WERE AUTHORISED TO REGISTER THE VISITORS. AS THE TIME PASSED, THIS PROCEADURE BECAME MORE AND MORE EASY. IN YEAR 2005, CECF INTRODUCED DATA CARD, WHICH IS LIFE TIME, ONCE A VISITOR HAS BEEN ISSUED A DATA CARD, THERE IS NO NEED TO WAIT IN LONG QUE TO GET YOUR SELF REGISTERED, JUST GET THE CARD SCANNED AND YOU ARE REGISTERED. LATER ON A BETTER WAY OF REGISTERING YOURSELF WAS ‘ONLINE’ REGISTRATION. AS THE TIME IS PASSING, CECF IS INTRODUCING MORE AND MORE FACILITIES FOR VISITORS TO GET THE INVITATION, GET THEMSELVES REGISTERED AND EVEN HOTEL BOOKING IS BEING MADE EASY. THE WORK OF CECF IS HIGHLY APPRECIATED.
STARTING FROM THE YEAR 1968, WE HAVE BEEN REGULARLY ATTENDING SPRING AND AUTUMN GUANGZHOU FAIRS EVERY YEAR. WITH THE PASSAGE OF TIME, THE DURATION OF FAIR KEPT ON CHANGING FROM 30DAYS TO 25DAYS, 20DAYS, 15DAYS, 10DAYS AND NOW FOR 6DAYS, WHICH IS ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONAL STANDARD OF EXHIBITIONS AND FAIRS. IN THE BIGINING THERE WERE FEW VISITORS. NUMBER OF VISITORS KEPT ON INCREASING EVERY YEAR. THE NUMBER OF VISITORS HAS INCREASED FROM FEW HUNDREDS TO MANY THOUSANDS. THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY ALL OVER THE WORLD IS IMPRESSED WITH THE RAPID DEVELOPMENTS MADE BY CHINA IN EVERY FIELD, WHICH HAS CREATED INTEREST FOR THEM TO VISIT CHINA AGAIN AND AGAIN AND DO MORE AND MORE BUSINESS.
WE HAVE ALSO SEEN TEMENDOUS CHANGES MADE BY CECF ACCORDING TO NEED OF TIME. SINCE VISITORS WERE COMING FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, MAINLY THROUGH HONGKONG, VARIOUS ROUTES LIKE TRAINS, HYDROFOILS, SHIPS, BUSES, TAXIS FROM HONGKONG TO CANTON WERE OPENED FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE CANTON FAIR THIS GAVE BIG CHOICE TO THE VISTORS TO GO TO GUANGZHOU AND PARTICIPAPTE IN THE FAIRS.
BESIDES, WE HAVE VISITED VARIOUS CITIES OF CHINA FROM GUANGZHOU TO HUHHOT AND HAVE SEEN TREMENDOUS CHANGES EVERYWHERE.
WITH THE EXPANSION OF BUSINESS IN CHINA, THE HEAD OFFICES OF ABOVE EXPORT CORPORATIONS FIRSTLY OPENED BRANCHES IN OTHER CITIES LIKE GUANGZOU, NANJING, QINGDAO, TIANJIN, HANGZHOU AND BEIJING AND LATER IN 18 MORE CITES OF DIFFERENT RPROVINCES. WE STARTED BOOKING ORDERS WITH ALL THESE BRANCHES AND SIGNED EXCLUSIVE AGENECY AGREEMENT FOR SALE OF TOOLS IN PAKISTAN WITH THE CMC HEAD OFFICE, BEIJING WHICH LASTED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
THE FIRST TIME WHEN WE VISITED GUANGZHOU, THERE WERE FEW VISITORS ONLY. WITH THE PASSAGE OF TIME, THE BUSINESS KEPT ON EXPANDING IN CHINA AND MORE AND MORE VISITORS STARTED ATTENDING CANTON FAIRS FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD, WHICH LATER WAS NAMED “GUANGZHOU FAIR’.
WE HAVE SEEN LOT OF DEVELOPMENTS IN CHINA IN THE LAST 38 YEARS. MANY NEW INDUSTRIES HAVE BEEN SET UP, NEW EXPORT CORPORATIONS AND THOUSANDS OF PRIVATE COMPANIES HAVE BEEN OPENED IN AL THE PROVINCES TO COOPE WITH THE EXPANDING BUSINESS, INFRASTRUCTURE CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED WITH TREMENDOUS SPEED. A PERSON LIKE ME WHO HAS BEEN VISITING CHINA SINCE LAST 38 YEARS CAN ONLY MAKE COMPARISON BETWEEN THE YEARS 1968 TO 2006 WHERE BUSINESS HAS GROWN FROM A COUPLE OF BILLION DOLLARS TO HUNDREDS OF BILLION DOLLARS EVERY YEAR. THE IMPORT AND EXPORT BUSINESS BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES, PAKISTAN AND CHINA, HAS DEVELOPED TO A VERY BIG EXTENT FROM APPROX. 700 MILLION DOLLARS TO MORE THAN 3.5 BILLION DOLLARS. THE MARKETS OF PAKISTAN ARE FILLED WITH CHINESE PRODUCTS. A CHINA CENTER FOR SALE OF CONSUMER PRODUCTS IS BEING BUILT IN LAHORE WHICH WILL START WORKING DURING THE CURRENT YEAR.
HERE WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MENTION THAT OUR TWO GOVERNMENTS AND PEOPLE OF CHINA AND PAKISTAN ENJOY THE MOST AFFECTIONATE AND BROTHERLY RELATIONS IN THE WORLD. WE HAVE HELPED EACH OTHER WHENEVER THERE WAS NEED AND WE WILL KEEP ON HELPING EACH OTHER IN THE FUTURE.
BEST WISHES TO GUANGZHOU FAIR AND CHINA EXPORT COMMODITIES FAIR AUTHORITIES WHO HAVE WORKED HARD TO BRING THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY OF THE WORLD VERY CLOSE TO BUSINESS COMMUNITY OF CHINA .
