Weaving dreams

Abdul Latif Khan has played a major role in helping a Chinese carpet company to achieve growth in Qinghai province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Abdul Latif Khan has brought his expertise in carpets from Pakistan to Northwest China, Liu Xiangrui reports.

When he decided to move to China a decade ago after quitting his job in the United States, Pakistani textile expert Abdul Latif Khan surprised many.

Now, his friends know that he made the right choice, Khan says.

He has played a major role in helping a Chinese carpet company to achieve fast growth and has been recognized for his work.

Khan, 52, comes from a family with a tradition in textile making. He learned the craft from his father at a young age. Most of his siblings work in the industry.

He studied textile design in college in Pakistan, and has pursued a successful career in knitting and designing carpets.

Khan was with a carpet company in the US for five years before he joined the Qinghai Tibetan Sheep Carpet Group, where he has been the research and development manager since 2006.

His connection with the Qinghai company－a big supplier of woolen carpets to his former US employer－was established thanks to product defects.

In 2005, he was sent by the US company to help sort out technical issues at the Chinese company after worms were found in a shipment.

"I was planning to stay in Qinghai for one week," Khan recalls.