By Daniel Hunter

Business in the South West are being encouraged to forge business links with China with a special event dedicated to the food and drink sector.

In partnership with the China-Britain Business Council, UKTI is organising a visit to the South West on Wednesday 20 March by several prominent Chinese food and drink distributors, as an extension to their participation in the International Food and Drink Event in London 17-20 March.

Visitors to the event include online retailer 360buy.com — China’s biggest business-to-consumer online retailer, Sinodis Shanghai - a major importer and distributor of food products, Metro Asia, and 21cake — a custom made cake delivery service.

China has the world's fastest growing major economy, with growth rates averaging around 10 percent over the past 30 years. While it is the largest exporting nation, China is also the second largest importer of goods in the world, offering opportunities in many commercial sectors. The opportunities for business in China are not just in the well-known Chinese business centres of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, but also further a field in numerous emerging regional centres.

Food and drink products that are of interest to the Chinese delegation include:
- Bakery, patisserie
- Biscuits, snacks, confectionery
- Cheese, dairy products
- Convenience foods, dry/canned/bottled goods
- Beer, cider, wine and spirits, non-alcoholic beverages
- Children's foods
- Health and wellbeing, organic food and drink

The event will be held at Leigh Court in Bristol, where there South West food and drink producers will be given a unique opportunity to discuss and exhibit their products to the visiting distributors.

"Trading with China is often seen as a daunting prospect due to cultural differences, IP concerns and the lack of understating how this giant economy operates. However, many South West companies have enjoyed considerable success there," UKTI’s China Trade Adviser Antoaneta Becker said.

“This visit is a testimony to the potential that South West businesses hold for the China market and I hope that regional food and drink producers looking to tap growing Chinese demand will attend and meet with prospective distributors.”

'Open to Export' http://opentoexport.com/ is a UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) initiative in partnership with hibu plc (formerly Yell Group).

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