French president Emmanuel Macron affirmed France’s commitment on boosting China and Frances’ wine ties including protecting Burgundy’s geographic indication and supporting China’s entry into the “United Nations of Wine” as Macron expands the two countries’ business cooperations during his state visit to China.
Macron’s four-day state visit from April 5 to 8 received a warm welcome from the Chinese side where he drank tea and listened to traditional Chinese music with Chinese president Xi Jinping while securing multi-billion contracts for French business.
In a joint declaration issued to cap off Macron’s trip, both sides mapped out 51 points in the statement covering a wide range of topics from military engagement, 5G technology to Russia-Ukraine war and wine.
Both sides agreed to continue to exchange and cooperate on geographic indication protections related to beef and wine, particularly on the protection of France’s famous wine region Burgundy.
Additionally, France will support China’s application to join the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), dubbed United Nations of Wine, as well as the organisation by China of an international conference on the wine sector.
This was applauded by OIV on twitter, calling it “a decisive step in China’s long march towards the OIV.”
Ranked as the world’s 7th largest wine consumer and third largest country with land under vine, China is not yet a member state to OIV, which has 49 official members. China’s two wine producing regions, namely Ningxia and Yantai are both observors.
France’s wine exports to China has regained after China slapped heavy tariffs on Australian wine, making it again the country’s biggest wine supplier. Last year, a total of US$661.9 million French wines were shipped to China, based on data released by China Associaiton for Imports and Exports of Wine and Spirits (CAWS).
