Overseas Chinese businessmen in Shanghai have been working in the "Two Pearls" for 31 years and written "stories of prosperity"

　　China News Service, Shanghai, April 5th: Title: Overseas Chinese businessmen in Shanghai have been working in the "Two Pearls" for 31 years and written "stories of prosperity"

　　Author Fan Yubin

　　"Our relationship with the 'Two Pearls' is getting deeper and deeper." Recently, Cheng Fuqiang, president of the UAE Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce and Hometowns Association, said in an exclusive interview with a reporter from China News Service that in the past 31 years, he has gone from being alone to "dark eyes" Entering the United Arab Emirates, becoming a long-term supplier of more than 600 high-end hotels in the United Arab Emirates, and then serving and leading Shanghai-based overseas Chinese businessmen to achieve new development.

　　The "two pearls" in Cheng Fuqiang's eyes are Shanghai, the "Pearl of the Orient" and Dubai, the "Pearl of the Gulf." China is the UAE's largest trading partner, and 2024 coincides with the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the UAE. Since the reform and opening up, a group of overseas Chinese businessmen from Shanghai, including Cheng Fuqiang, have traveled between the "two pearls" and contributed "the strength of overseas Chinese" to the friendly development of China and Afghanistan.

　　Cheng Fuqiang’s “Middle East Story” dates back to 1993. At that time, following the trend of going abroad, 30-year-old Cheng Fuqiang went to the United Arab Emirates alone to pursue a career. According to his recollection, "At that time, the UAE was lacking in resources and was almost 'barren', but the local market had a strong demand for various small commodities 'Made in China', and you could make money selling anything."

　　Starting from learning English, Cheng Fuqiang, who was born in Nantong and grew up in Shanghai, began to devote himself to China-Arab trade. At first, with no capital, no connections, and no market information, he started from a small business, trading haberdashery and then bedding. Since 2008, he has been involved in the hotel supplies trade, gradually opening up a vast space for entrepreneurship, and also contracting for full-chain services such as product design and hotel management systems.

　　There are many types of hotel supplies, and Cheng Fuqiang's annual purchases in Yangzhou, Guangzhou, Nantong, Yiwu and other places exceed 100 million yuan. He said, "The hotel industry is a barometer of the world economy. After the epidemic, the hotel industry has recovered significantly. I am very confident about its future development."

　　31 years have passed by in a blink of an eye. In Cheng Fuqiang's view, everything he has now has benefited from the rapid development of China and Afghanistan. It is the opportunity of the development of the times that has made his career and life prosperous.

　　The goal of becoming rich and strong does not stop there. He said with a smile that "prosperity" is the gene engraved in his name. "It is not enough for one person to be prosperous and powerful. We need everyone to be prosperous."

In January this year, the UAE Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce and Association held a "Warm Spring Festival and Celebrate the Chinese Year" Dragon Dance Abu-themed flash mob event at the Louvre Abu Dhabi. (Photo provided by interviewee)

　　As the cooperative relationship between China and UAE becomes increasingly closer, more and more overseas Chinese businessmen from Shanghai come to the UAE to invest and start businesses. In June 2019, the UAE Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce and Hometowns Association was established to build a "home" for Shanghai-based overseas Chinese businessmen in the UAE.

　　As an important communication platform for China Unicom overseas, in the past five years, the UAE Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce and Association has more than 1,200 members and 264 governing units. Cheng Fuqiang said that as president, he will give full play to his role as a bridge.

　　The United Arab Emirates is one of the first countries to join the joint construction of the “Belt and Road”. Cooperation between China and the United Arab Emirates in many fields continues to deepen. Cheng Fuqiang is also working non-stop between China and the United Arab Emirates to connect enterprises from the two countries to “go global”.

　　Not long ago, Cheng Fuqiang signed a memorandum of cooperation on "Invest in Shanghai" to promote industrial investment with the Shanghai Investment Promotion Service Center on behalf of the UAE Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce. It will expand industrial cooperation channels and strengthen cooperation in investment promotion activities. He also revealed that he will organize and participate in the China International Import Expo this year to lead more UAE companies to explore the Chinese market.

Cheng Fuqiang, President of the UAE Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce and Hometowns Association, presented awards to the winners of the 2023 Second UAE Overseas Chinese Chinese Food Cooking Competition. (Photo provided by interviewee)

　　Not only that, the UAE Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce and Hometowns Association also actively spreads Chinese culture.

　　In January this year, they held a "Warm Spring Festival and Celebrate the Chinese Year" Dragon Dance Abu-themed pop-up event at the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Overseas Chinese danced the Chinese dragon, sang "Descendants of the Dragon" and wrote Chinese calligraphy together. Celebrate the Chinese Festival and show the high-spirited spirit of Chinese people overseas.

　　Cheng Fuqiang said that they have also held a Chinese food cooking competition for overseas Chinese in the UAE for two consecutive years. Everyone competes on the same stage to showcase the broad and profound Chinese food culture and promote exchanges and mutual learning between China and UAE food culture. "The competition conveys the message of 'Dubai has a taste of everything, and overseas dining is harmonious', and it also attracted locals to sign up to participate and cook Chinese food together."

　　"To spread Chinese culture, someone has to do it, and overseas Chinese businessmen have unique advantages." When talking about the future, Cheng Fuqiang said that he will use practical actions to tell the Chinese story, educate the second and third generations of overseas Chinese, and continue to write a new era of overseas Chinese. business story. (over)