Chief of Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Russia urges Chinese merchants to standardize operation

Chinese merchants in Russia can only thrive by standardizing their operation, Cai Guiru, the chairperson of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Russia, told Xinhua on Saturday.

The recent removal of the Cherkizovsky Market in northeast Moscow by the municipal government from the list of local retail markets has taught a "serious lesson" to the Chinese merchants, said Cai.

Most of them have realized that irregular operation in Russia "means risks and losses," she added.

Cai suggested that Chinese merchants do the following when they engage in business in Russia.

Firstly, they should have their companies registered, distribute merchandise via formal customs clearance agents, and employ personnel with legitimate capacity.

Secondly, they should pay attention to the quality of their merchandise, as low-grade commodities would eventually lose marketin Russia, she said.

For the sake of long-term prosperity, Chinese merchants should also endeavor to build up their system of credibility to win the trust of Russian customers, she said.

She encouraged countrymen doing business in Russia to be more open-minded and creative in shaking off their reliance on irregular operations in the Cherkizovsky Market.

They should be more farsighted and launch their own brands as a strategy for sustainable business growth, she said.

In addition, Cai said they should actively engage in training personnel to help them acquire both operative and language skills, so as to establish internationally acknowledged, more modernized business pattern.

From now on, the only choice facing the Chinese merchants is to take the path of standardized operation, said Cai.

Russian police abruptly shut down the Cherkizovsky Market on June 29 after disclosures of irregular operations by the Russian Federal Supervision Service for Consumer Rights Protection and People Welfare, resulting in big losses for the Chinese vendors.

The market, as Moscow's biggest wholesale market, accommodated around 60,000 Chinese vendors, according to the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Russia.

A senior Chinese delegation, led by Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng, reached broad consensus with the Russian side on the issue in late July.

Source: Xinhua