Seawater desalination equipment produced by Zhangjiagang Furui Heavy Equipment Co leaves Zhangjiagang for the United Arab Emirates. [Photo/WeChat account: zjgtvnews]

“The materials are extremely thin- only four to seven millimeters in width. It was a huge challenge for us, since most of our products are thick and heavy,” said Zhang Ming, a project manager at the company.

The project has also presented Furui with an opportunity to expand its overseas market.

According to Wang Feng, sales manager of the company, many orders were transferred from Europe and developed countries to China due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The company has received 150 million yuan ($21.21 million) in orders since March, most from countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

The company has already established partnerships with more than 30 BRI countries, and its export markets are shifting away from European countries and the United States to Russia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.

BRI countries currently account for around 50 percent of the company’s total orders, and its sales revenue is expected to grow more than 10 percent year-on-year to 565 million yuan.