Expats share their thoughts on 20th CPC National Congress

The ongoing 20th CPC National Congress has attracted the attention of people from all walks of life, including foreigners who have lived in China for years.

Among the expats who have paid close attention to the major event is Manoj Mehta, the chief executive officer of Shanghai-based naked Group. The company, which started with a bed and breakfast service in renovated farm houses in Moganshan, Zhejiang province, in 2007, has since expanded its business to include luxury resorts, shared work spaces and other products.

Mehta said that he, as an entrepreneur, has been most impressed by the Party's people-centric approach to achieving common prosperity.

"I really admire the strategy of balanced growth that supports not only new ideas and entrepreneurs but aims to turn more people who are below middle class into mainstream consumers, thus creating a more sustainable engine for continued growth," he said.

Frank Shankar Koirala, a cashmere retailer and manufacturer from Nepal, shared the same sentiments.

The 29-year-old, who used to run a shop in his home country Nepal, had traveled to China to promote his business at various expos since 2009. After hearing from his peers how beneficial the CIIE is to their businesses, Koirala took part in the second edition of the expo in 2019.

His gains from the event were almost immediate, and this convinced him to set up a trading company in Shanghai in 2020. The company is currently based out of a rented space at the Greenland Global Commodity Trading Hub, a venue focused on showcasing imported goods that is located right next to the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the venue of the CIIE.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Koirala's business has tripled over the past years. The size of his booth at the CIIE has also grown in tandem. Last year, his booth was thrice the size of the one he had in 2019. Despite his hectic schedule, he has also been keeping abreast of the latest happenings in the nation.

"I'm glad to know that China will continue to improve the living conditions of its people, which means the import market still has a lot of potential," Koirala said. "I'm sure my business will continue to thrive."

As for Josh Bobley, an educator and translator from the United States who has settled down in Shanghai for more than two decades, the congress has reaffirmed his understanding of China's incredible achievements over the past few decades.

Bobley said he was most impressed by the determined and pragmatic approach the Party and the Chinese have adopted to achieve their goals, which include "a drastic reduction in poverty, an enormous improvement in the economy, major scientific discoveries, an improvement in international relations with many nations and a dynamic zero-COVID policy which, unlike in the US, has saved many lives."

"I thank my lucky stars to move here to be living in a peaceful, industrious nation whose people care about what seems to really matter," he added.