HARARE, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The China International Import Expo (CIIE) presents a platform to unlock business opportunities for Zimbabwe's arts and crafts sector, a Zimbabwean business player said on Tuesday.

The event, which will be held in Shanghai, east China, from Nov. 5 to 10, is one of the world's biggest import-themed international exhibitions aiming to open the Chinese market to foreign countries.

Clive Chirova, director of Samuneti Leathers, a Zimbabwean manufacturer of quality leather goods, said the international platform has enabled the company to expand its portfolio.

"We had to grow our portfolio from just leather to include other curio products. The expo has also helped us expand our production base here in Zimbabwe," he told Xinhua.

Chirova, who attended the CIIE last year, said the business now includes the marketing and selling of traditional items such as woven baskets and wood and stone sculptures.

He said the opening up of the vast Chinese market to Zimbabwean arts and crafts creates lucrative opportunities for local businesses seeking to expand in Chinese and global markets.

"It's an opportunity for us to expand our market in China, which will also have an effect downstream where we order goods. We go to the rural ladies where we buy our woven baskets; they also benefit from our participation," Chirova said.

In addition, access to the Chinese market also internationalizes Zimbabwe's stone sculpture tradition.

"It's a positive development to the arts sector, where we bring in quite a bit of work from the artists," he said, expressing his hope that the Chinese market would continue to provide growth opportunities for local artists seeking to promote Zimbabwe's arts and crafts.

According to the organizing committee, more than 70 countries and international organizations have confirmed their participation in the seventh CIIE. ■