Companies showcase products, services and projects in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan

Representatives of Shanxi and Uzbek companies sign agreements on cooperation during the Shanxi business promotion event in Tashkent. WANG YU/FOR CHINA DAILY

North China's Shanxi province showcased its investment and trade opportunities to business communities in Central Asia during two promotional events last week.

The events, held in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan from Oct 19-23, were part of a large promotional campaign called Shanxi Brands on the Silk Road, a move aiming to enhance trade and investment cooperation between Shanxi and the countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

The events included exhibitions of Shanxi's products, promotions of industrial projects and matchmaking meetings between enterprises, aiming to introduce Shanxi's specialty products, advantageous industries and business environment to local corporate visitors.

In Uzbekistan, the Shanxi business delegation visited the Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the government of Mirzo Ulugbek District in the nation's capital city of Tashkent, as well as the "Two Zones and One Park" Industrial Technology Economic Zone.

In Turkmenistan, the delegation visited the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan.

When meeting their local counterparts, Shanxi's investment promotion officials introduced the province's advantageous resources, industrial strength, potential in opening-up and business environment.

An official from the Shanxi Provincial Council for the Promotion of International Trade said Shanxi is an important energy industrial base in China, with comprehensive strengths in such sectors as coal mining and the development of alternative energy resources including coalbed methane, hydrogen, and wind and solar power.

He said the province has launched an industrial upgrading campaign to diversify its economy in recent years. As a result, Shanxi now boasts 40 of the 41 major sectors in the national industrial category.

It is worth mentioning that Shanxi is on track to grow into an inland transportation hub by developing freight train services to link the rest of Asia and Europe.

Capitalizing on its international freight train links, with its well-developed, dedicated lines to Central Asia, Shanxi has enhanced its presence in the region, especially in sectors such as energy, infrastructure development and logistics.

According to the official, the business ties are showing growth potential as Shanxi is enhancing its engagement in the Belt and Road Initiative, in which Central Asian countries such as Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan play an important role.

A number of Shanxi's key enterprises showcased their competitive strengths at the business promotion events in the two countries.

Huayuan International Land Port Group, for instance, is a major operator of the China-Europe (Central Asia) freight train services in Shanxi.

While operating a number of railway logistics bases in Shanxi, the company has also developed cross-border logistics, overseas warehousing and cross-border trade operations in a number of countries, according to a Huayuan executive. He added that Huayuan expects to collaborate with its local partners for better development of these sectors.

An executive of Shanxi Construction Investment Group said his company, with experience in the construction and operation of overseas infrastructure projects, expects to expand cooperation with local businesses in sectors such as energy development, mining and civil engineering.

Other enterprises from Shanxi, including Shanxi Jingtian Hechuang Cloud Energy, Yuangong Energy Technology and Shanxi Xinzichen Technology, showcased their technological solutions for such industries as new energy, power supply and smart cities, hoping to serve the Central Asian countries in these sectors.

The events in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan resulted in a number of agreements between Shanxi's enterprises and local partners.

In Tashkent, Huayuan International Land Port Group, Shanxi Construction Investment Group and several new energy tech companies from Shanxi signed cooperative agreements with their Uzbek partners. The Shanxi Provincial Council for the Promotion of International Trade also entered into an agreement with a local energy industrial association.

In Turkmenistan's capital city of Ashkhabad, Shanxi Construction Investment Group and Shanxi Jingtian Hechuang Cloud Energy signed memorandums of understanding with a number of local enterprises for cooperation, marking a step in the enterprises' entry into the local market.

During the events, local business representatives said that they had a better understanding of Shanxi's business environment, and industrial and technological strength and expected to explore more cooperation opportunities.

Organizing officials of the events said that they will track the implementation of the projects agreed on during the events, hoping to use them as examples for more cooperation between Shanxi and the two countries.

The Shanxi Brands on the Silk Road is an international business promotion campaign authorized by the Shanxi provincial government and organized by the Shanxi Provincial Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the Shanxi Department of Commerce and the Foreign Affairs Office of the People's Government of Shanxi Province.

This year, the events were held in Malaysia, Thailand, France and the two Central Asian countries.

Wang Yu contributed to this story.

Shanxi business representatives view a scale model of an industrial park they were visiting in Uzbekistan. WANG YU/FOR CHINA DAILY 

A view of Ashkhabad, the capital city of Turkmenistan. WANG YU/FOR CHINA DAILY 

Shanxi businesspeople visit a company in Turkmenistan. WANG YU/FOR CHINA DAILY