China's 'Super Salesman' seals billion-dollar deals

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding on railway cooperation between the two countries in Bangkok on Dec 19. 2014. [Photo/Xinhua]

Braving bitter cold, 20,000 cheering people in Belgrade waved Chinese and Serbian national flags to welcome Premier Li Keqiang, who was in Serbia in mid-December to witness the completion of the first Chinese-built bridge in Europe.

Spanning the Danube River, the "China Bridge", as locals call it, was designed and built by Chinese companies with preferential loans from China. Li said he expected the bridge to become a calling card for Chinese companies going global.

In photos taken at the event, Li is seen smiling broadly, appearing to radiate sincerity and confidence in his country's capabilities.

It was but one moment in the 34 days Li spent outside China in 2014, sewing up agreements around the world worth billions of dollars.

Li has earned himself the nickname the "Super Salesman of China" for his widely reported efforts in promoting Chinese high-speed railways, 4G communications technology, nuclear power and other infrastructure equipment during his overseas visits. At least $140 billion worth of deals were sealed for Chinese companies and more than 250 agreements were signed during his five official visits last year to 13 countries in Africa, Europe and Asia.

The premier's passion and skill as the nation's salesman are reflected in his articles. His essay, Greetings Across Rivers and Mountains, was published by Baltic News Service, the largest news agency in the Baltic region, on Nov 26, 2013, before his meeting that year with representatives of 16 Central and Eastern European countries.

In it, Li wrote: "China is making rapid progress in the manufacture of transportation equipment, especially high-speed railways. We have a strong capacity and high-quality equipment, and the total length of high-speed railways under operation in China has exceeded 10,000 kilometers. We are fully capable of taking on high-quality transportation infrastructure projects in Central and Eastern European countries.

"China has reached world standards in manufacturing and installing equipment for coal-fired and hydropower stations, including pumped storage power stations. We also have mature technologies and world-class manufacturing capabilities in nuclear, wind and solar energies. Our equipment is inexpensive and of high quality, which makes China an ideal partner for CEE countries."