Chinese exports rise on World Cup fever

HANGZHOU - The ongoing FIFA World Cup has not only inspired global soccer fans, but also businesses in China, who see the event as the perfect stage to explore new opportunities and improve their brand images.

Cixi, a county in Zhejiang province barely known to soccer enthusiasts, has seen its exports to 32 World Cup participating countries surge dramatically this year.

From January to May, Cixi's exports to these countries rose 6.6 percent to 10.4 billion yuan ($1.6 billion). Exports to the host country, Russia, increased 16.2 percent to 620 million yuan during the same period.