APLF & CLIA launch CIFF

Asia Pacific Leather Fair Ltd and the China Leather Industry Association have joined forces to announce the launch of the China International Footwear Fair (CIFF). The first edition will take place at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) which is in the Pudong Development Zone, China on September 3-5, 2003. CIFF will run concurrently with the All China Leather Exhibition (ACLE) and Moda Shanghai. Madame Zhang Shu Hua, the vice president of the CLIA, said: 'Chinese Footwear production is not only the biggest in the world, but the design of China produced footwear also compares very well with much of the best production of the traditionally well-regarded footwear producing nations. Global consumers today are well aware that they can rely on Chinese manufacturers for their footwear needs and for their flexibility in presenting exciting new trends.' Michael Duck, director of the APLF said: 'From the launch of the ACLE in Beijing in 1998, it has been our intention to expand the content of ACLE as we have done successfully in Hong Kong with the APLF since 1994. We believe that with our partners the CLIA whose remit encompasses the whole of China's leather industry production, this launch will give a new platform for international buyers of Chinese manufactured footwear products to have a definitive place to meet and to do business. China is an enormous country and Shanghai is internationally well known as the commercial and fashion capital of China.'