Ke Juping takes stock of the tools in her shop. [Photo/Tide News]

The 18th China Tool Exhibition at the Zhejiang Tool Trading Center in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, from Feb 2 to 4 drew a bustling crowd, with Ke Juping, a seasoned exhibitor with over 20 years of experience in the tool business, standing out.

Hailing from Wenling, a county-level city in Taizhou, Ke owns a 54-square-meter shop in the trading center, boasting an annual turnover of more than 40 million yuan ($5.49 million). Last October, she opened a tool store in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

"Uzbekistan is involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. Its welcoming attitude toward Chinese nationals and its strategic location in Central Asia make it a great place to do business," explained Ke.

Ke participated in a business English training course last August, organized by the Wenqiao town government to enhance entrepreneurs' global communication skills. She found the course invaluable in overcoming language barriers. Her boldness and perseverance were key as she swiftly opened her store within a month of arriving in Uzbekistan.

With the mutual visa exemption agreement between China and Uzbekistan and the smooth progress being made on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, Ke remains optimistic about the future of cross-border trade.