The China Import and Export Fair has been held for 103 times. In its long history it has not only provided goods to buyers from all over the world, but has also served as a forum to promote communication among people from different countries and regions.
Many foreign buyers at the Liuhua Convention Center can speak fluent Chinese. Some of them even use authentic Chinese slang and idioms ¡ª such as jing da xi suan, which means careful calculation and strict budgeting, zheng zheng ri shang, which means becoming more and more prosperous every day, and hen hao hen qiang da, which means very good and very strong.
For their part, many Chinese exhibitors can now speak much better English. Their bargaining in fl uent English shows they are increasingly integrated with the rest of the world.
"Do you guarantee all products are exactly the same?" asked Italian buyer Massimo in Chinese. He showed up at the exhibition booth of Guangdong Tianhe Knitted Sweater Factory, and talked to the exhibitors in fl uent Chinese.
Massimo has been in the knitted sweater business for a long time and has attended the China Import and Export Fair for more than 10 times.
When he was asked why he can speak Chinese and whether he has any secret method, he replied he picked it up naturally. "I did not take time to study Chinese at all, but I gradually came to know it after I listened to it for a long time," he said. "I have been in China for
more than fi ve years."
Massimo said all his business transactions are done at China Import and Export Fair. The fair is a very important opportunity for him and he also made a lot of good friends here.
At another corner of the booth, Lei Xiaofeng, the design director of the factory, is talking with a United States client in fluent English.
Lei said about 95 percent of the factory's products are for export, so most of the factory's personnel must use English during work.
Most foreign clients have shown their favor for cashmere clothes, asking a lot of questions about them. Lei said he and his colleagues will study their points after the fair, hoping to adjust their products according to their suggestions.