A buyer records the data of balls at the China Yiwu Stationery & Gift Exhibition in Yiwu, East China's Zhejiang Province, on June 3, 2024. With the approach of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, all kinds of sporting goods and Olympic-related products are popular at the exhibition, with brisk sales. Photo: VCG

As the Paris 2024 Olympic Games rapidly approaches, it's not just an opportunity for athletes to showcase their talent but also a moment for China's "Yiwu-made" products to shine on the global stage. "Made in China" Olympic-related items such as flags, wristbands, and trophies have now arrived in Paris, ready for both athletes and spectators.

"All one million official Olympic wristbands are marked 'Made in China'. I am really proud that the people around the world will soon wear the wristbands produced by our factory!" Lin Daolai, sales manager of YiwuHuyue Crafts Co, told the Global Times in an interview on Thursday.

Last October, Lin's craft factory in Yiwu city, East China's Zhejiang Province, received an order for one million Paris Olympic wristbands, which were shipped to Paris in two batches, in January and April this year. 

"Foreign clients choose us for Yiwu's global reputation, ability to deliver goods in large quantity and greater efficiency, competitive prices, and high quality. Our wristband designs and materials also appeal to European tastes," said Lin.

"We've been manufacturing silicone wristbands for more than 15 years, but this is our first time producing official merchandise for Olympics. In the past, we made Olympic products in partnership with other brands. We're very thrilled to have this opportunity, and it is a massive order in our plant's history," Lin said.

Another Yiwu manufacturer's flags are also proving popular in France and other European countries. "Several buyers in France started inquiring and placing orders at the end of last year, with most orders placed online. We shipped millions of small flags and hundreds of thousands of large ones," He Bin, director of Tiangong Flags & Banners Factory, told the Global Times on Thursday.

"With a good number of sports events being held in Europe this year, orders have increased compared to previous years. Fan merchandises like flags and scarves have been selling very well, and we continue to receive small orders up to now," He Bin said.

A Yiwu-based trophy manufacturer told the Global Times on Thursday that the spring season saw the highest volume of orders, with foreign clients ordering for over 200,000 medals. Total orders for the same quarter rose by about 10 percent compared with last year. 

"Our factory has been producing trophies and medals for about 20 years, earning a strong international reputation and a loyal customer base. For the coming Olympics, the orders are primarily for trophies and medals for a variety of sports events," Ye Demo, manager of the company, said.

The growing export of Yiwu-made small commodities to Paris and Europe highlights global recognition of Chinese manufacturing quality and China's booming trade with European countries. Events like the Paris Olympics are opportunities to expand the customer base and could open up more trade opportunities with Europe in the future, Yiwu merchants said.

"Although we didn't receive orders for the Paris Olympics, we have benefited from the surge in European sports events. We've received many orders from other European clients, and sales are up 10-20 percent compared to the same period last year. We will continue to focus on trade cooperation with Europe in the future," Chen Xianchun, a manager of a trophy and medals production factory, told the Global Times on Thursday.

The popularity of Yiwu-made products also underscores the significant role Chinese manufacturing has secured in the global industrial and supply chains, analysts said.

In addition, the local government in Zhejiang Province also rolled out measures to boost commodities trading. "The Hangzhou municipal government and enterprises have cooperated well to conduct a series of market promotional activities, helping merchants learn more about foreign trade, increase intellectual property awareness, and emphasize product quality and innovation," a representative from Yiwu International Trade City, was quoted as saying by the People's Daily.

In the first five months of this year, Yiwu's exports of sports goods and equipment reached 4.1 billion yuan (approximately $585.71 million), a year-on-year increase of 44.4 percent. Notably, exports of sports goods to France saw significant growth, according to the People's Daily.