ENTREPRENEURS from East China’s Zhejiang Province believe Cuba’s economic market shows great potential and it could be a gateway for expansion into Latin America, a continent increasingly connected to China.

At the first-ever Cuba-Zhejiang business forum held in Havana last week, 32 Zhejiang-based companies searched for business opportunities.

“We are here to explore the Cuban market in order to introduce our products and make our contribution to Cuba’s electricity sector and its energy saving efforts,” said Nan Ronghe, general manager of Yueqing Blue Sky Hi-Tech Co., a manufacturer of smart electricity meters.

Nan said that the two-day meeting allowed them to understand Cuba’s needs and offer the country the chance to establish partnerships with Chinese companies.

Huang Huiqi, business manager of Huayi Electric (Heag), a company dedicated to renewable energy, said that his company wants to play a role in Cuba’s development.

“Cuba’s potential in this sector is huge and we can offer support for wind energy with efficient generators. We would really like to join the Cuban market,” said Huang. Heag, a market leader in China, already has presence in Latin America with ties to Chile. The company considers Cuba as a further connection with Latin America.

“Our company represents a new trend in the sector. Cuba will develop its renewable and clean energy sector in the future,” he said.

Meanwhile, Wu Huisheng, general manager of Golden Bridge Optical, a manufacturer with 20 years’ experience in the eyewear industry in Zhejiang, said: “Cuba hopes to open (its markets) as China has done, and we see this business forum as an opportunity. Tourism is very well developed and we believe that our products will have a great advantage here.”

Cuba has a broad portfolio of opportunities with more than 450 projects amounting to US$10.7 billion.(Xinhua)