My CIIE Story • Great Opportunity: Pakistani jeweler's unbreakable ties with expo

Editor's Note: The fifth China International Import Expo will open in less than 10 days. In October, several participants of the CIIE will tell their stories themed around "great opportunity" to showcase the positive changes the expo has made to the world and how it has helped build a community with a shared future for mankind over the past five years.

I was born into a big family in Pakistan that has been running a jewelry business for generations. But inspired by a friend of my father who is a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, all I wanted to be in my early years was a doctor.

As such, I learned Chinese and finally came to China in 2001 to study at the Xinjiang Medical University in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. I met my wife during an internship at a hospital and accompanied her to Shanghai in 2010 when she was admitted to the Naval Medical University's doctorate course.

I later decided to enter my family's business and establish my own jewelry brand called Winza. I have since attended more than 200 jewelry trade shows, forums and salons in China to learn about consumers' preferences for jewelry.

In 2019, I was invited by the president of the Shanghai Mineral Fossil Association to participate in the second CIIE. As the decision was made in haste, I only booked a 12-square-meter booth to test the water. Rubies, sapphires, and emeralds designed by my sister were showcased at the expo.

I was worried at first that few people would notice the small booth or like our products. But in the following six days, to my surprise, numerous people visited our booth. I gave away all my business cards and added many friends on WeChat. Many purchasers appreciated our design and offered to cooperate. I gained great benefits from the second expo.

At the third and fourth edition of the CIIE, I had a 36-square-meter booth and displayed 36 kinds of products. Due to the opportunities provided by the expo, our team's efforts and support from clients, we received orders worth a few million dollars. Winza has been seeing an annual growth of 50 percent in its sales revenue since 2019.

Soon after the third CIIE, I set a plan to open Winza's first flagship store in Shanghai. With the help of Huangpu district's commission of commerce, the store was opened at the Shanghai New World Daimaru department store. Business has been growing and my company is now an A-level taxpayer in the Huangpu district.

In addition, we were invited by the CIIE Bureau to attend an investment promotion activity, which was held by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Liaoning Provincial People's Government, last year, and obtained a new development opportunity. By the end of 2022, a new Winza outlet will be unveiled in a downtown shopping mall in Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning.

The CIIE is more than a platform for small and medium-sized enterprises to showcase themselves. Companies can also learn about the latest industry trends and connect with purchasers from across China. The expo, which is held every year despite sporadic COVID-19 outbreaks, has bolstered exhibitors' confidence and demonstrated China's commitment to opening-up.

Winza will bring more premium products, including diamonds for newly-weds and handmade glasses, to the fifth CIIE. Our British designers make every single piece of our products replete with elegance and we hope Chinese customers will like them.

I also want to recruit more franchises during the expo. Winza is aiming to have more shops in Shanghai and other big cities in China in the following five years.

Several days ago, a customer from Shandong told me that she visited our booth at the CIIE every year because our jewelry design can "emotionally heal" her. A man who bought a 1-carat diamond ring for his wife during the second expo in 2019 came to us two years later to buy another one for his daughter. These stories made me realize that jewelry is both valuable collection and priceless heritage.