China, Europe seek win-win from GI deal

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Both China and the EU have tried to cash in on the landmark GI agreement with more promotions.

On May 20, the China Mission to the EU launched a program on its website to introduce GI products from China and the EU. Starting with the Gannan Navel Orange from East China's Jiangxi province, it has so far introduced some two dozen GI products, such as Nanjing Salted Duck, Shaoxing Wine, Machange Chrysanthemum Tea and Turpan's Raisins, with stories, videos and photos.

Also in May, short documentaries about the Chinese GI products began to air on French television network TV5Monde, with the first episode on Xixia Mushroom from Central China's Henan province.

Meanwhile, Taste Europe, a 25-episode TV series about European food and culture, has been shown to Chinese viewers since the end of 2020. With the participation of EU member states' embassies in Beijing, the program not only promotes European cuisine and lifestyle but also links quality food promotion relating to products under the GI agreement.

Despite the pandemic's impact on trade, data from Spain's Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism show that some GI products enjoyed a surge in exports to China from March to September last year compared with the same period in 2020.

Cava, a famous Spanish sparkling wine, saw its exports to China reach 1.5 million euros during the period, up 158 percent over the same period in 2020. Exports of La Rioja wine, which was also featured at the import expo in Shanghai, hit 10.4 million euros, up 93 percent.

During the virtual 8th China-France High-Level Economic and Financial Dialogue co-chaired on Dec 13 by Chinese Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua and French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, China and France agreed to step up the cooperation between their competent administrations on GIs to promote reciprocal protection of French and Chinese GIs both in a bilateral and a European framework.

Hu Gang, a trademark expert from the CCPIT Patent& Trademark Law Office, said that China has been earnest and professional in providing legal protection to GI products. He elaborated on several legal cases involving GIs in China in a speech at the 1st China-EU GIs Cooperative Conference in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Sept 17.

Hu expressed the view that he was deeply impressed by the EU's effective protection of GIs.

"I believe it will definitely benefit Chinese GI products entering the EU market," he said.