By Liu Donghui, the secretary-general of IFA
03/10/2007
In 2001, I attended the 53th annual conference of the APA in Las Vegas, an occasion that is still fresh in my mind. The warm-hearted hospitality of our American friends in the fireworks family impressed me deeply, especially their positive support for the idea of establishing the IFA, which strengthened our confidence. After this, with the help of the APA and by our joint efforts, the IFA was officially established in October of 2003.
We did a lot of work for the fireworks industry after setting up the IFA, particularly by developing close and wide-ranging cooperation with the APA to solve our problems. Last year, for example, Sanshui Port in China's Guangdong Province suspended the transport of fireworks, and the APA greatly assisted the IFA in its concerted effort to remedy this situation. This included organizing an international fireworks transport conference in Beijing, in which we jointly explained the situation to the officials of China¡¯s Ministry of Transportation. Through our joint efforts, Sanshui Port finally reopened for the fireworks transport business, which guaranteed the smooth working the Chinese fireworks exports. In January of this year, with the aim of further addressing the issue of the trans-ocean transport of fireworks, the IFA helped the APA get a number of international shipping companies together for studying and discussing the issues in Liuyang, an initiative that greatly increased the trust of these shipping companies in the fireworks industry.
These examples of successful cooperation made us recognize the necessity and importance of international cooperation in the fireworks industry and realize the vast expanse of possible further cooperation between the IFA and the APA. In the coming years, we will also be able to develop close cooperation in security control, self-discipline, establishing international standards and the exchange of information about the fireworks industry.
This time, the IFA and the Liuyang Business Bureau are jointly calling on some of Liuyang¡¯s fireworks export companies to participate in the APA's annual meeting, with the aim of enhancing mutual understanding between the fireworks industry in the two countries. We will not only give China's fireworks export companies more information about the APA, but also give our American friends in the fireworks industry more of an insight into the Chinese companies.
I firmly believe that all our American friends here know enough about Liuyang in China to make further introductions unnecessary. Among the dozens of Chinese companies attending the APA meeting today, some are old friends and some will be new friends to you. All of them are strong Liuyang export companies with the sincere wish to establish business relationships with American friends. You can see their show in the fifth exhibition booth. And if you think the presence of Chinese companies will not be enough to give you a comprehensive understanding of China's fireworks, we hereby invite you to the Eighth China Liuyang International Fireworks Festival at the end of October this year. The Fireworks Festival will be held from 27th to 29th October. During that time, the IFA will hold its third annual meeting, as well as a forum on fireworks transport, for which we hope to get your support and participation.
I would like to take this opportunity to extend a sincere invitation to you to join the IFA. I know that when I mention membership of the IFA, almost every American friend will ask, ¡°But what would be the benefit to our company?¡± I am not sure I have a clear answer to this question, and I cannot tell you with the same confidence as the APA that we can increase your company¡¯s sales and profits. This is because the IFA is an international industrial organization, whereas our aim is to provide a platform for exchange and cooperation for the world¡¯s fireworks community, and for promoting self-management in the fireworks industry, for safeguarding the rights of the fireworks industry, and for maintaining the stability and development of the fireworks industry. At the same time, we want the world to know more about fireworks and to give it more understanding of the fireworks industry, while simultaneously creating a friendlier environment for the fireworks industry.
We have a dream: let us turn all the gunpowder in the world into beautiful fireworks, so that the world will have no more wars but only joy!
Thank you!
