By: Staff Writer Colombo (LNW): Products and services with Sri Lankan characteristics, strengths and competitiveness are welcomed to China’s vast market with a population of over 1.3 billion. Sri Lanka is endowed with unique geographical advantage and natural environment, so there are many products (such as black tea, gems and jewelries, rubber, etc.) with special Sri Lankan characteristics. The deepening of China-Sri Lanka economic and trade exchanges and the first CIIE have made more Chinese consumers get to know and like Sri Lankan products. This will not only expand Sri Lanka’s exports to China and reduce its trade deficit, but also better meet the needs of Chinese consumers, which is undoubtedly a win-win situation. Sri Lanka is to seize the opportunity of China’s actively expanding its open market, and constantly try and explore, so that the country’s products can better meet the needs of the vast number of Chinese consumers. In this way, the mperticipation of trade fairs and expositions has become the avenue of opening the gate way for two countries and Sri lanka to achieve economic growth and mutually beneficial development and common prosperity. The Department of Commerce under the Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Food Security successfully organised the participation of 58 Sri Lankan companies at the China-South Asia Exposition held for five days in Kunming. This was an ideal opportunity for Sri Lankan companies to showcase their products to the Chinese market and find new buyers, ministry of trade sources said. Trade, Commerce and Food Security Minister Nalin Fernando visited the Kunming Expo and encouraged Sri Lankan companies to promote Sri Lankan products in the lucrative consumer market in China. Furthermore, it was an opportunity to understand the dynamic E-commerce and Social media marketing strategies used in the Chinese market. Further the Minister chaired the Sri Lanka side of the bilateral meeting with the Department of Commerce of Yunnan province and expressed the close collaboration to establish Sri Lanka particularly with Yunnan province. Officials of the Department of Commerce of Sri Lanka, the Officials of the Department Commerce of the Yunnan province and the Commercial Counsellor of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing represented at the bi-lateral talks. Kunming Expo has been a major trade expo over the years and could be a great platform for strengthening bilateral trade collaboration. Further the opportunity was used to discuss the areas of market expansion of Sri Lankan products, market access for new products and capacity building that required entry to the Chinese market. The companies promoted a range of products such as Gems and Jewellery, Ceylon Tea, Confectionery, Processed food, Cashew, Spices, Coconut Kernel products, Batiks and Handicraft.