People work at the factory of Czech sports nutrition company Amix in Turnov, the Czech Republic, on Nov. 1, 2024. (Xinhua/Deng Yaomin)

After over four years in the Chinese market, Czech sports nutrition company Amix has a major goal at this year's China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai: to expand its reach within the growing Chinese market.

"We are pleased to participate in this fair this year. Since we already have an established business, we think the CIIE is an excellent chance to improve our existing business," said Amix's Sales Manager Ondrej Novotny in a recent interview with Xinhua on the eve of his attendance at the expo in China.

"The CIIE is a fair focused on the more mainstream general public. It's not a specialized fair for sports nutrition, which is why we'd like to connect with potential new customers and dealers in China who are focused on mainstream products, which we also offer in our Amix portfolio," he explained.

At this year's expo, Novotny said, the company plans to showcase popular products, such as testosterone supplements and multivitamins, alongside new offerings for the mainstream Chinese market, including protein bars. The company aims to connect with a broader audience beyond the specialized gym market.

"Another goal we are looking to fulfill during this year's expo is to help our Chinese importer in finding potential new sub-distributors so we can broaden our coverage of the Chinese market," he added.

Novotny, along with Amix's General Manager Josef Bukvic, is set to depart for Shanghai on Monday to attend the CIIE for the second time. Their first visit in 2019, though "starting from scratch," marked a milestone, leading to a partnership with a local importer and the launch of their business in China six months later.

Calling China and Southeast Asia "a potential new center of the world economy," Novotny explained why they initially chose China. "If you have a well-established, strong company selling globally, it's just impossible that you won't be present there."

"The sports nutrition business is rapidly developing and performing well in China. That's why we're focusing on this market. And even though it's not our largest market, we still see significant potential here," he added.

For the past four years, Amix has been actively selling its products in China, aided by the booming e-commerce sector.

"E-shop platforms now are a dominant channel for selling our products. E-commerce has extensive coverage, and we can get our products and knowledge about our products to reach a wide audience really quickly," Novotny said, describing the company's growth as "pretty strong."

The CIIE, now in its 7th edition, has been regarded as an essential platform for foreign companies like Amix to expand in China. This year, the business exhibition, from Nov. 5 to 10, covers more than 360,000 square meters -- equivalent to 50 standard soccer fields -- and is expected to host 3,496 exhibitors from 129 countries and regions.

Novotny described the CIIE as an excellent fair for establishing partnerships and introducing brands in China. "It's a nice option to showcase yourself to the Chinese public and market, gaining visibility from day one," he said.