China, Europe seek win-win from GI deal

Geographical indication products from both sides seen to boost cultural heritage and improve quality of life

Crispy-fried Fangxian mushroom, Umbria extra-virgin olive oil, Cognac sauce and Nanfeng sweet orange were just some of the ingredients that went into innovative fusion recipes served up by prominent chef Tony Jiang at a major event in Shanghai early in November.

The fusion creations－with Chinese and European ingredients－were on show at the EU Food Booth during the China International Import Expo 2021.

Food lovers at the demonstration were made aware of some geographical indication, or GI, products from China and countries in the European Union. Jiang's talents were put to use in the Colours by Europe campaign, which showcases the cultural heritage, farming practices and rich array of quality food and beverage products from 27 EU member states.

The Shanghai event was just one of the many promotions that have taken place after the China-EU Agreement on Geographical Indications was signed in 2020 and went into effect on March 1. A GI is a distinctive sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.

"The agreement on the protection of geographical indication products between China and Europe … will help further promote cooperation on agri-food trade between the two sides," Damien Plan, the agriculture counselor at the EU Delegation in China, said at the opening ceremony of the EU event in Shanghai.

"European food is renowned worldwide," said Plan, noting that China is the third-largest destination for EU agri-food exports, with sales reaching 18 billion euros ($20.2 billion) in 2020.

Zhai Qian, head of the Department of European Affairs of China's Ministry of Commerce, said China-EU trade on agri-food products climbed to $30 billion in 2020, jumping 16.2 percent from the previous year.

The agreement on geographical indications was signed on Sept 14, 2020, during a virtual summit between President Xi Jinping and then German chancellor Angela Merkel, European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Germany happened to hold the presidency of the Council of EU in the second half of 2020.

Negotiations for the agreement were concluded on Nov 6, 2019, after 22 rounds of talks spanning eight years. The agreement was approved in November 2020, first by the European Parliament and then the European Council.