In recent years, Homa Refrigerator had made great effort in opening up markets in the countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. [Photo by Wen Bo]

A batch of refrigerators manufactured by Guangdong Homa Refrigerator Co Ltd was on the China Railway Express heading to Uzbekistan from Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province on April 13.

Feng Changjiang, Senior Customs Manager of Homa Refrigerator, says the China Railway Express has made trade among the countries along the route more convenient. Leading Zhongshan enterprises, like Homa Refrigerator, now can transport high-quality products from Zhongshan to Central Asia and Eastern Europe by rail or multimodal transport.

According to Feng, in recent years, Homa had made great effort in opening up emerging markets in the countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. Last year, the company's orders from these markets almost as many as those from developed markets such as Europe.

Recently, the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation concluded in Beijing. Up to now, China has signed 173 "Belt and Road" cooperation documents with 125 countries and 29 international organizations.

Since the reform and opening up, Zhongshan has developed competitiveness and characteristics in opening to the outside world. This year, Guangdong for the first time released the list of Top 100 Foreign Trade Enterprises. Six Zhongshan companies made the list. Under the Belt and Road Initiative, more and more Zhongshan enterprises are actively exploring the road to overseas business.

Setting up production bases overseas has become one of the major ways for Zhongshan enterprises to make arrangements in the markets involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. These companies realize self-development in addition to boost economy of the countries in which they are located by increasing jobs.

Chen Sizhen, Marketing Director of Zhongshan Changhong Electrical Appliance Co Ltd, says the company set up a production and sales branch in Pakistan in 2011, and later in 2016, it founded the Changhong Meiling Electrical Appliance Co Ltd in Indonesia. Explicit strategic position has driven up sales of these overseas bases year by year.

"By setting up factories overseas and assembling and selling products in local areas, we can cut cost in transportation and labor force and create jobs," Chen says, adding that the company will continue to find overseas investment destinations regardless of potential risks.

An official representative of the Zhongshan Bureau of Commerce says Zhongshan enterprises' investment enthusiasm on the Belt and Road countries is increasing in recent years. By the end of 2018, Zhongshan has made 220 direct investments in 36 countries and regions, with total contracted Chinese investment reaching $2.1 billion. Specifically, Zhongshan companies have made 35 investments in 16 B&R countries, with contracted Chinese investment reaching $430 million, accounting for 20.5% of the city's total overseas investment.

Since 2016, Zhongshan companies have added 10 overseas investment destinations involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Malaysia, Cyprus, Sri Lanka, Laos and Israel.