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”.