Guan Shuangshuang (right), a sales representative of Qunfeng, talks to visitors at CTT Expo on May 28. (REN QI / CHINA DAILY)

Chinese companies intending to explore overseas markets can achieve real benefits due to the reputation of Chinese manufacturers, increasing confidence in Chinese products and equipment, and lower costs when communicating with local clients.

In Russia, more Chinese companies are considering setting up offices in the country, which could fill the void from the withdrawal of European companies, and make their own contributions to Sino-Russian cooperation in the infrastructure construction sector, said an employee of a Chinese company in Russia.

With coordination between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union deepening, there is a huge need for road construction machinery in the Russian market as the government is increasing infrastructure construction, Guan Shuangshuang, a sales representative for Chinese company Qunfeng in Russia, said.

Qunfeng participated in this year's CTT Expo Russia in May, one of the most important trade exhibitions for construction machinery and technology in the country. This year, the exhibition was attended by over 600 companies and brands all over the world.

"Our venue has always been a reflection of the situation in the construction industry market. This year, we will present an even more comprehensive picture of the three complementary areas — construction equipment, commercial vehicles and after-sales service — each of which will be represented by a separate full-fledged strong project," Marina Vashurkina, director of CTT Expo Exhibition, said.

"The visitors poured into the exhibition center on the first day of CTT Expo Russia, which is expected, as peak attendance usually happens on the second day of any exhibition," Guan said. She said this has boosted the company's confidence in the Russian market.

Based in Fujian province, Qunfeng Intelligent Machinery was founded in 1995. Its main business is in R&D and manufacturing of building materials machinery, such as concrete products and solid waste treatment plants.

According to research by the Russian Federal State Statistics Service, imported products make up more than 75 percent of the excavator sector and more than 90 percent of the loaders sector in Russia.

It said successful strategies for many Russian enterprises in recent decades have emphasized internationalization by establishing cooperation with foreign companies, including assembly projects and partial localization of well-known foreign road construction machinery brands.

Due to the strong need for block machines, Qunfeng entered the Russian market in 2008, Guan said. Now, clients of the Chinese company are mainly from the Russian Far East region, and the total volume of equipment exports has reached more than $1.1 million.

Under the framework of the BRI, Chinese brands as well as machinery made in China have gained the trust and respect of Russian clients. Guan said Chinese equipment has its unique advantages in overseas markets — Chinese machinery are competitively priced and they have a high price-performance ratio when compared to machinery made by US or European companies. Also, Chinese companies offer timely after-sales service.

"Even some established German companies are not able to provide such good service as Chinese manufacturers, especially customized and 24-hour after-sales service, which have helped us gain a good reputation from overseas customers in various countries," Guan said.