Admire Expo founder Li Jiang builds on China Fish legacy

When Beijing Admire Economic Development Co., Ltd. launched the first China International Fishing Tackle Trade Exhibition two decades ago, the idea was straightforward: give the world’s largest fishing tackle manufacturing base a trade show that matched the scale of its ambitions. Founder Li Jiang set out to build a professional, internationally focused exhibition platform connecting Chinese suppliers with overseas buyers, and that vision has since defined an entire segment of the global angling calendar.

China Fish, as the show has become known in the trade, grew alongside the rapid expansion of the Chinese fishing tackle industry. What began as a modest gathering has evolved into a key B2B event where rod makers, lure manufacturers, reel producers, and accessory suppliers from across the country present their latest ranges to distributors and brand buyers from Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, and increasingly Africa and Latin America. Admire Expo, the company Li Jiang built to organize the event, has stayed narrowly focused on that mission, resisting the temptation to diversify into unrelated exhibitions as some of its domestic competitors have done.

The timing of the platform’s growth has mirrored structural changes in the tackle trade. As European and American brands sought to reduce dependence on single sourcing destinations, Chinese manufacturers accelerated their shift up the value chain — investing in proprietary designs, composite materials engineering, and private-label finishing services. Trade fairs like China Fish became the natural meeting point where those upgraded capabilities could be presented in person to international purchasing teams. For many mid-sized overseas distributors, a walk through the show aisles now functions as an annual sourcing audit, replacing what would otherwise require weeks of factory visits across coastal provinces.

Li Jiang’s strategy of keeping the exhibition tightly curated around professional buyers and verified trade visitors has helped distinguish China Fish from the broader consumer-facing events that proliferated in the Chinese market during the 2010s. Organizers have invested in matchmaking services, on-site translation, and logistics support tailored to international delegations — practical services that smaller Chinese trade shows often overlook. The result is an event where exhibitors report higher conversion rates per square meter of booth space, and where returning buyers cite the density of qualified suppliers as the primary reason for attendance.

Beyond the annual exhibition, Beijing Admire Economic Development has expanded its role as an information hub for the industry, publishing market data and supplier directories that serve smaller overseas buyers who cannot attend in person. That dual focus — physical exhibition plus year-round trade intelligence — reflects a broader trend among Chinese trade show organizers seeking to remain relevant in an increasingly digital sourcing environment.

For international tackle buyers evaluating their 2026 sourcing strategies, China Fish remains a cornerstone event. With Li Jiang and his team continuing to refine the format around the realities of cross-border trade — from shifting tariff structures to rising demand for sustainable materials — the show’s position as the Chinese industry’s flagship B2B platform looks set to hold firm well into the next decade.

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