The first-ever Việt Nam fruit festival opened in Beijing, China, on Sunday, co-organised by the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The festival took place at the Xinfadi agricultural wholesale market, the largest of its kind for fruit in the capital. The market serves not only Beijing's population of over 22 million but also people from nearby regions such as Hubei and Tianjin.

The two-day festival includes direct trade exchanges between Vietnamese businesses and Chinese fruit importers and distributors, a product experience programme and a seminar on the potential for Vietnamese fruit exports.

In his remarks at the event, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyễn Hồng Diên said the countries’ growing comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership had brought tangible benefits to both. He noted that despite the global economic slowdown, bilateral economic and trade cooperation continued to expand, yielding positive and significant outcomes.

In terms of fruit supply and fruit-based products, Việt Nam was China's third-largest global partner after Thailand and Chile, with many Vietnamese goods enjoying strong popularity among Chinese consumers. Dien underscored the significant untapped potential available for businesses on both sides.

This festival would serve as a premise and provide valuable experience for organising more frequent, specialised festivals in not only Beijing but also other parts of China, thereby fostering connections and expanding Việt Nam’s fruit exports to this vast market, the minister stated.

Additionally, the official proposed that Chinese authorities continue collaborating to facilitate quarantine processes, expedite customs clearance, address bilateral economic and trade policy issues, further open its market and expand the list of Vietnamese fruits and agricultural produce eligible for legal export.

Việt Nam, in turn, would be ready to facilitate the import of Chinese fruits into its market in accordance with the law and help Chinese businesses invest and operate effectively and sustainably in Việt Nam, Diên noted.

Zhang Yuxi, the board chairman of the Xinfadi market, underscored the significance of the Việt Nam fruit festival and noted that it reflected the growing cooperation and friendship between the two nations in the farming sector. He added that the event creates opportunities for networking and exchange between their agricultural enterprises. — VNS