Interview: China's opening up bears fruits for all, says Ugandan official

KAMPALA, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- The China International Import Expo (CIIE), along with other China-proposed initiatives and platforms, signifies expanding openness and more opportunities for all nations beyond bilateral ties, said a Ugandan official.

"This expo is important to those who want to trade with China. We look at it as one of the initiatives aimed at allowing foreign goods to be exhibited, promoted and sold in China," Elly Twineyo, executive director of the Uganda Export Promotion Board, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

The CIIE is not only a platform where emerging and developing economies showcase products to the Chinese market, but also a networking platform connecting Chinese and foreign companies for collaborations that cater to global markets.

He cited the case of Uganda, where some local companies had signed agreements with Chinese enterprises during the previous editions of the CIIE.

China has granted tariff and quota-free entry for up to 98 percent of some countries' taxable products into the Chinese market, noted Twineyo, saying Uganda is one of such beneficiaries.

These countries now need to boost production and quality to take advantage of the Chinese market, he added.

The sixth CIIE is being held closely following the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Twineyo said, adding that the BRI, which stimulates the development of transport and energy infrastructure, like in Africa, is a facilitator of access to both the Chinese and global markets.

He named the Chinese-built Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway as a paradigm, which connected the Kenyan seaport of Mombasa to the hinterland, from where other transport networks link to neighboring countries.

Additionally, he praised the construction of two hydropower plants in Uganda, which play a significant role in the country's industrialization.

Energy and transport infrastructure are stimuli to countries' efforts to increase their export earnings, said Twineyo, noting that when industries have adequate and reliable power, production is increased, and when the roads or railways are in good shape, the products can easily reach the markets.