#20. Gemstones & spices: SCO entrepreneurs in China

SCOLAR Podcast

As “SCOLAR on the Belt & Road” keeps expanding the community of its guests, its hosts also keep travelling and interviewing away from Beijing. This episode has been recorded in Chongqing, Sichuan province, and more specifically from the SCO pavilion at the Second Western Fair for Trade & Investment, where 30 companies from 8 SCO countries gathered in mid-May to show their countries’ economic, touristic and cultural potential, and learn more about the Chinese and each others' markets. Our host, Olim Alimov, talked to two guests of the fair who are exporting goods to China and simultaneously helping local communities back in their countries. Moaaz Zamir Awan, from Pakistan, is CEO of the Islamabad-based Global Silk Route Enterprises, which specialises in selling traditional Pakistani handcraft and gemstones in China, and Ali Azghar Faiz works for the Kabul-based Afghan saffron 777, offering Chinese customers Afghanistan's precious organic spice. What are our guests trying to pursue through their business in China? How do they see their mission as entrepreneurs and their relationship with local communities in their countries? What obstacles do small businesses from Pakistan and Afghanistan face when entering Chinese market, and what are their takeaways from the Second Western Fair for Trade & Investment? Enjoy, and don’t forget to subscribe!