Beijing, 27 April 2024
From 21 to 26 April EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski visited China to facilitate European agricultural food and beverage exports to China and expand their presence on this market. He was accompanied by a business delegation of senior representatives from the EU agri-food sector. During his visit to China, Commissioner Wojciechowski attended events and meetings in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing.
EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski met with relevant Chinese ministers in agriculture, intellectual property and customs, to discuss a variety of issues, including improved market access and positive cooperation on geographical indications. On several instances the Commissioner has reminded Chinese officials of the “positive contribution of trade to EU agriculture and our overall net trade balance” pointing out that, despite the macroeconomic and geopolitical difficulties, there is still great potential for China and the European Union to boost their agri-food trade. Commissioner Wojciechowski proposed to reduce trade barriers and encouraged both sides to remain open to each other’s agricultural products even as other industries grow fractious. “Food products should be excluded from problems in other sectors. Open food trade is very important for food security at the global level”.
Leading a delegation of over 70 business representatives from the agri-food sector, the largest in his tenure, Commissioner Wojciechowski said that the size of the entourage “shows how important China is as our trade partner”. Representing a total business value of €350 billion, this business delegation attended Anuga food and beverage trade fair in Shenzhen, looking forward to expanding their presence in the Chinese market. China is the third-largest importer of food products from the EU in 2023, with exports at €14.6bn, compared to imports during the year of €8.3bn. The most popular agri-foods imported from the EU include infant food, cereals, pork and wine. EU agri-food exports to China have been experiencing a downward trend since 2020, mainly due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Commissioner Wojciechowski hopes that trade volume can return to 2020 levels.
Source – Press and information team of the Delegation to China
Address by European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski at official dinner of High-level Mission to China
Shanghai, 22.04.2024
Dear representatives from the Chinese Government,
Dear Ambassadors,
Dear Counsellors
Dear Members of the chambers of commerce,
Dear Members of the EU delegation in Beijing,
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
It is my great pleasure to welcome you all here tonight. A very warm thank you to all of you, for joining us to this evening. Let me also welcome our EU Business Delegates, who represent some of the finest foods and beverages from across Europe – you will taste, and enjoy, many of their products here tonight.
The visit of this delegation, whose companies represent a total annual turnover of more than 350 billion Euro, or 2,800 billion Chinese Yuans, is one of the many efforts from the EU to promote European agrifood products across China.
But the star of our promotion efforts are the products themselves.
There are four core values that drive agrifood production in the EU. These are Quality, safety, authenticity and sustainability.
Through a strong legislative framework, the European Commission ensures that these values are respected.
Our products have a long legacy, and a strong legacy, of health protection and safety standards.
The EU inspects everything, from pesticide use all the way to packaging, so that you can enjoy our products with full assurance.
And while European food and drinks meet the highest modern standards for safety, they are also deeply rooted in history and tradition.
For example, many of the products you will enjoy this evening are protected under our system of geographical indications.
This system preserves the link between product and place: by safeguarding and celebrating local knowledge, traditional methods, and authentic flavours.
I know that China has a similar rich culinary tradition and heritage.
In both China and Europe, we share the value of savouring an authentic product, enriched by a story and a history, shaped by real people and places.
This shared value is written throughout our bilateral Agreement on the protection of GIs, which entered into force on 1 March 2021.
I am in particularly glad to be able to express my gratitude, in person and in China, to the relevant authorities for the excellent collaboration in reaching this milestone in the EU-China relationship.
Our products not only reflect our heritage, but also contribute to our future.
They contribute to healthy rural communities, balanced diets, and also to healthier ecosystems with a more balanced environment.
In this regard, let me say how essential it is that China and the European Union continue working to make global food systems more sustainable.
Together, we must work for systems that are:
- environmentally sustainable: with a neutral or positive climate impact; and working with natural resources and biodiversity.
- socially sustainable: to ensure food security and public health, while supporting the vitality of rural communities
- and finally, we must work for food systems that are economically sustainable, that preserve the affordability of food, while also generating stable incomes for our farmers.
By being two of the major global agrifood producers and exporters, the EU and China must combine their efforts, to divide our challenges, and multiply our solutions.
Both of us, for example, attach great importance to food security, ensuring that our citizens, and every person in the world, has access to quality and affordable food.
The various threats to global food security, from major geopolitical developments to extreme weather events, underline, each day, the importance of working together, of maintaining fair and open trade, and of keeping food supply chains open.
These are some of the topics that I will address in the days to come, with my counterparts in the Chinese authorities.
I look forward to working together, on common solutions to common challenges.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have spoken about our common challenges, but I would like to conclude by focusing on the common love that the European Union and China share for our food.
When it comes to our cuisine, we have combined histories and entwined traditions.
Our territories are tapestries of geographical diversity, encompassing mountain ranges and grass plains, rivers and rainforests, wild coastlines and silent deserts.
This patchwork is reflected in our products.
We can create countless combinations of dishes, tastes, and flavours, enriching and connecting our cultures – from the Atlantic Coast, to the East China Sea.
In where it comes from to where it brings us, every meal carries a story and creates a memory, when shared with our families and friends.
I could continue to describe the qualities of our food, but I believe that tasting will ultimately convince you more than any words can.
I am therefore thankful to chef Mark Chen, Executive Chef of the Westin Bund hotel, and to the kitchen and service staff for preparing our meal tonight.
This special menu is made from more than 40 products from several EU countries. They include almost 10 European GIs, and several organic products.
Our menu tonight also features a number of delicious Chinese products.
I believe this demonstrates how the food and beverages of Europe and China can form a perfect combination and a true example of our shared desire to protect our gastronomic heritage.
Ladies and Gentlemen, dear friends,
Allow me to use a custom that is present in both the EU and Chinese culture, and to raise my glass for a toast: “to China and the EU, to our past connections, and future collaborations, in food and farming”.
Source – EU Commission