CHENGDU, Mar. 25 (Xinhua) -- 2018 China International Alcoholic Drinks Expo (CIADE 2018) on March 25 kicked off in Luzhou, a city located in southwest China’s Sichuan Province and also known as the “city of Chinese liquor”.
More than 1,200 enterprises from 38 countries and regions joined this year’s expo bringing more than 5,000 alcoholic drinks products and it’s expected to see over 3 million visits online and offline and 40 contracts signed worth 35.1 billion yuan.
During a speech at the opening ceremony, Vice Governor of Sichuan Province Zhu Hexin said that as a core production area for Chinese liquor baijiu, the province has earned the reputation of “Sichuan’s baijiu is peerless in the world”, with famous brands such as Wuliangye, Luzhou Laojiao and Langjiu sold to more than 60 countries and regions. In 2017, large liquor companies in the province recorded production volume of 3.72 million kiloliters and 27.15 billion yuan of profits with a year-on-year growth of 29.1 percent.
Vice Governor of Sichuan Province Zhu Hexin speaks at the opening ceremony of the 2018 China International Alcoholic Drinks Expo on March 25.
“Marching into the new era and stranding at the new starting point, transformation and upgrading is an inevitable way for high-quality development of the alcoholic drinks industry,” Zhu said. He encouraged alcoholic companies to meet consumers’ demand and market adjustment and develop products with high quality and cultural heritage.
China National Light Industry Council Chairman Zhang Chonghe said in a speech that China’s alcoholic drinks industry earned about 1 trillion yuan of revenue and over 100 billion yuan of profits in 2017. He added that alcoholic drinks producers should take the CIADE as a platform to showcase fine products and inherit craftsmen's spirit in order to promote the industry.
Luzhou is one of the world’s top ten hard liquor production areas. According to Liu Qiang, Mayor of Luzhou, added value of Luzhou's alcoholic drinks industry was up 14.7 percent year on year in 2017 and the annual primary business revenues stood at 80.78 billion yuan, up 20 percent year on year.
Liu said that baijiu is originated from China with distinctive ethnic characteristics and the expo is aimed at boosting exchanges between domestic and foreign alcoholic enterprises and promoting cooperation.
The four-day exposition includes the opening ceremony, 2018 China International Alcoholic Drinks Industry Development Forum, investment and trade fair & contract-signing ceremony for South Sichuan Port Area of China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone, assessment of 2017 "Qingzhuo Awards" for new alcoholic drinks products and so on.
With an exhibition area of more than 80,000 square meters, the venue includes five pavilions: Chinese Famous Alcoholic Products Pavilion, International Fine Alcoholic Products Pavilion, China General Pavilion, International General Pavilion & Belt and Road Pavilion and Alcoholic Equipment & Packaging Materials Pavilion.
CIADE, only of its kind approved by China’s Ministry of Commerce, has been successfully held for 11 consecutive years since 2006.
With the theme "Wine Here We Here", the CIADE 2018 is hosted by China Alcoholic Drinks Association, supported by the People's Government of Sichuan Province, China National Light Industry Council and China Economic Information Service, and co-organized by Sichuan Provincial Department of Commerce, Sichuan Bureau of Expo Affairs and Luzhou Municipal People's Government.
(Edited by Yang Qi, kateqiyang@xinhua.org)
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