Wine blitz launched by mainland China’s Ningxia on world market plans to use Hong Kong as export base
- Major delegation from Ningxia wine region uses Hong Kong trade fair to promote its products internationally
- Chinese experts say city will be valuable as ‘stepping stone’ to wider recognition after President Xi Jinping gifts French counterpart Emmanuel Macron Ningxia wines
Ningxia, mainland China’s answer to the famous Bordeaux region, is to launch a booze blitz on the world using Hong Kong as a springboard after Sino-French diplomacy put Chinese wine in the world’s spotlight, industry leaders have said.
“Domestic wines do not have a convenient channel for export or spreading brand images to the world,” said Zhe Xiao, vice-general manager of the region’s Yuashi Winery.
“People may not know Ningxia well, but everyone knows Hong Kong and that we could use as a stepping stone to achieve better promotion.”
The delegates from 16 vineyards from the Helan region in northwest China were among 140 international exhibitors at the three-day ProWine Hong Kong, part of the Hofex show.
The event is the biggest food and drink trade show held in the city since restriction-free travel with the mainland resumed.