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BEIJING, November 12 (Internews): Traditional
Pakistani food is getting
Chinese converts with an increasing number of people here relishing and
wishing that it should be available in the local market.
"If a chain of Pakistani traditional food is opened here, it could
attract good business," an official of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and
Economic Affairs was reported as saying in local media Monday.
He said that China offers vast opportunities to the foreigners to set up
food outlets and during a survey, it was observed that there is a
growing trend among the Chinese community to enjoy a large variety of
food provided by other nationalities.
The food market, including hotels, restaurants, fast food and junk food
business in China has jumped to over $30 billion a year in the recent
years.
Hundreds of fast food chains, like McDonald, KFC, Pizza Hut, Subway,
Domino and Popeye are spread all over China, appeared as most popular
business centres.
Many locals here who have tasted Pakistani food at various festivals and
fairs believe that traditional Pakistani food such as pulao, biryani,
karhai, shami kebab, seekh kebab, halwa puri, paay, samosa, kofta and
lassi provide unique taste which could be equally popular here.
"Besides this, traditional Pakistani confectionery items and sweet meats
such as rus gulla, gulab jamun and barfee also have major potential to
meet the liking of the locals," says Chinese journalist Tao Jee who has
spent four years in Pakistan.
According to an estimate, spicy food known as Asian or sub-continental
food have a lot of attraction even for the people of other
nationalities.
"Popular foodchains in Pakistan like Bundu Khan, Jehangir Balti,
Usmania, Haleem Ghar, Ahmed, Nirala and Fresco can be really big in
China," says another Chinese, Wang Xu, who works in the Pakistan Embassy
in Beijing.
The Beijing municipal government has listed several commercial fields as
priorities for overseas investment, including supermarket chains and
shopping centres.
Lu Yan, the deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Commercial
Committee, says foreign investment is welcomed in large multi-purpose
shopping malls, large wholesale enterprises, specialised outlets and
chain stores.
Three large logistic zones outside central Beijing are to be established
shortly and global commercial enterprises allowed to become involved in
the operation and management of the zones. -Internews |
