STORY: Afghan carpet seller upbeat about business opportunities in China
SHOOTING DATE: July 14, 2024
DATELINE: July 22, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:01
LOCATION: Kabul
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Kabul
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Dari): SAYED BILAL FAROOQI, Afghan businessman
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Dari): SAYED BILAL FAROOQI, Afghan businessman
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Dari): SAYED BILAL FAROOQI, Afghan businessman
5. various of Kabul

STORYLINE:

As an exhibitor at the upcoming China-South Asia Expo, Sayed Bilal Farooqi, a veteran Afghan businessman, has been busy preparing the carpets that he hopes to show to Chinese customers.
   
SOUNDBITE 1 (Dari): SAYED BILAL FAROOQI, Afghan businessman
"In the past years, we hardly exported 1,000 square meters of carpet to China annually, but so far this year about 30,000 to 40,000 square meters have been exported. The market is bustling and will flourish further. Possibly, we will export 50,000 square meters next year as the Chinese people have become familiar with the quality of our carpets and are interested in buying them."

The eighth China-South Asia Expo is scheduled to be held from July 23-28 in Kunming, in China's Yunnan Province.
   
Farooqi inherited the business from his father and has engaged in the hand-woven carpet business for more than 40 years. He foresaw a bright future for Afghan carpets in the Chinese market.
   
SOUNDBITE 2 (Dari): SAYED BILAL FAROOQI, Afghan businessman
"I attended an exhibition in Shanghai 20 years ago and we introduced Afghan carpets. Many people back then did not know Afghanistan, but currently, Afghanistan-made carpets are popular there and flourishing in Chinese markets. I have sent 4,000 to 5,000 square meters of carpets so far, and other companies will also send between 2,000 and 5,000 square meters."

Farooqi also expressed gratitude to the expo's Chinese organizers for providing facilities to Afghan traders.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Dari): SAYED BILAL FAROOQI, Afghan businessman
"Our booths are free of charge, with reduced taxes, and many facilities are free, and transporting our goods from the airport to the exhibition site is free of charge each year. After selling our carpets there (China), we return home and buy more carpets. Therefore, people at home can start their work to weave more carpets."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kabul.
(XHTV)