Latin American Gold Rush

by Chu Jiwang

Ten years ago， the Xilin brand from Ningbo Ruyi could hardly be found in the Latin American market. Nowadays， Xilin products are available in Brazil， Mexico， Argentina， Peru， and Chile. Doing business is somewhat akin to panning for gold. Only those who can endure hardship through true courage will find the real gold. My experience exploring the Latin American market felt like that of a prospector.

In September 2007， I took my son Jiang to Guadalajara， Mexico， for an International Hardware Show. Through attend-ing countless international exhibitions in many countries， I grasped a profound understanding： The exhibitions attracting more Chinese businesspeople are usually located in nations with greater economic prospects. And these countries foster sound markets. When arriving in Mexico for this exhibition， I found five buses full of Chinese compatriots， which delighted me greatly. I knew I was in the right place and the market was bound to be good.

In 2002， when my son and I came to Mexico as exhibitors for the first time， we hardly found any Chinese people. Only a few booths and a handful of people were scattered across an empty exhibition hall. At that time， my companys hand hydraulic carriers were already well known in the international market， but it seemed that no one in Mexico knew of our products.

Five years is not a long period of time， a drop in the river of human history. However， for Mexico， five years brought a milestone in the countrys rapid development. Through international exhibitions such as the China Import and Export Fair， Mexico businesspeople began learning about my company， Ningbo Ruyi Joint Stock Co.， Ltd. As time passed， more Mexican clients became familiar with our products， such as electric stackers and forklifts. Our products began appearing in Mexican warehouses， ports， and workshops， and Mexican businesspeople began visiting my company in China， which paved the way for our 2007 trip to Mexico.

During the three-day Mexico International Hardware Show， many Mexican clients were deeply impressed by Chinese products. Chinas rapid development not only amazed people from Mexico， but also people from other Latin American countries such as Argentina， Peru， and Chile.

Nearly 20 percent of the products on display were made in China. For example， even some products labeled with the brands of two American companies – I could tell at first sight that they were produced by my company. Along with my products， I also saw those produced by other Chinese enterprises at the exhibition. Thanks to Chinas reform and opening-up policy， countless Chinese products have found their way into the international market. However， we still worried. If we only produced made-inChina products， but not created-in-China products， we would always be nothing more than cheap labor providers.

To cut costs and save time， my son and I seldom tour foreign lands during business trips. This time， however， joining Chinas CMEC Exhibition Group， we visited Mexico City， a city that reminded me of Shanghai. Home to a huge count of 25 million residents， Mexico City boasts bustling business areas， neat and tidy streets， tall trees and emerald lawns.

My experience tells me that airports， shopping malls， and entertainment venues are usually the most bustling places in a given country. My experience also tells me that if a countrys streets and roads are wide and neat and its people are civilized， and live in peace and harmony， the country is bound to have a prosperous economy and a peaceful living environment.

The short trip to Mexico City didnt provide me in-depth knowledge of the country such as details about the stability of its society or the relationship between the rich and poor. However， we didnt see a single beggar on the streets – only neat， wide roads， spacious and luxurious shopping malls， and a wide variety of commodities. Cultural relics are well preserved in the city， including the ruins of the ancient Aztec civilization， sculptures of historic figures， monuments， and time-honored cathedrals. During my one-day tour of Mexico City， one thought stayed in my mind： I wished the gap between rich and poor wouldnt widen and that the rich would help the poor more. On the bus leaving the city， I fell asleep. At this point， the image in my head of Mexico City became vague and began spinning.