An ambitious plan
The decision by the central authorities to connect Ningxia to the Middle East and work to coordinate the building of bridges has given much-needed hope to local business leaders for prosperity. It would be hard to find a province in greater need of development. An arid desert region, largely left behind during China's economic boom, Ningxia has the country's third-smallest GDP and few exports to rely on (apart from goji berries). One thing, however, is certain: it has an abundant Muslim population. Two million members of the ethnic minority known as the Hui Muslims live here, making up one-third of the province's population. The Hui are considered descendants of Arabs and trace back to the Persian merchants who opened up the ancient Silk Road.
Now, local officials plan to start small, hoping to export such products as Halal meat. But they also have ambitious - perhaps overly optimistic - plans to eventually turn the province into a shining financial center trading with the Arab world.
At the Yinshun company's slaughterhouse and meat plant in a suburban town, Deputy General Manager Yang Li, a member of the Hui ethnic minority, explained that the company's main goal is profit, but it is also patriotic and culturally focused. Nearly half of the employees are Hui, and the company follows strict Islamic rules on what their cattle and sheep eat and drink, and when and under what conditions they may be slaughtered.
The plant was established only two years ago and has already hosted meetings with senior dignitaries from Muslim countries including the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia. But there have already been some obstacles affecting the increase in its exports, chief among them obtaining certification for its Halal meat under the conservation laws of many Arab countries. For example, last year Yinshun shipped 125 tons of Halal meat to countries in the Middle East, but now, as it pursues deals, this figure could increase more than tenfold, officials said.