Their sense of solidarity is deepened by the loneliness of being in a foreign country. Some of them have been based here as long as eight years. But most of Yiwu's Middle Easterners have only a rudimentary grasp of Mandarin. “It's hard learning a new language at my age,” sighs one Iraqi. Commerce forms their chief bond with Yiwu, China's largest small-commodities market. The Middle Easterners come on long-term business visas; after buying cheap clothes and hardware in bulk, most jet to Dubai, Baghdad or Tehran before returning for another six months of trade. Some work as consultants or visa agents. For the entrepreneurially inclined, Yiwu offers a wealth of opportunity.
The Middle Eastern presence has served as a magnet for Chinese Muslims. Although Arab merchants called here in centuries past, Yiwu had virtually no Muslims till about 2000, when Middle Eastern traders were drawn to its burgeoning market. Hui (members of China's indigenous Muslim minority) from as far as Yunnan, Gansu and Qinghai in the west followed. Yiwu is cosmopolitan and friendlier to Islam than parts of China's west. Many of the Hui who come speak Arabic, allowing them to find lucrative jobs with Middle Eastern businessmen. At its peak, says a local imam, the city's Muslim population (foreign and Chinese) now reaches 20,000.
Men eating at a resteraunt in Yiwu, China, discussed publicly their opinions on China's "athiest" religion. These Iraquis were muslim and felt that their beliefs would benifit China's economy.
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