Led by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, a business delegation comprising representatives from various Hong Kong wine and liquor associations and chambers of commerce visited Sichuan to promote Hong Kong's advantages as a liquor trading hub and its role as a platform for Chinese baijiu to go global.

     Mr Yau and the delegation today (March 25) attended a Sichuan-Hong Kong baijiu industry roundtable organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Chengdu of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Invest Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, in Chengdu, Sichuan, to have in-depth exchanges with representatives of the local wine and liquor industry. Mr Yau said that the country is advancing the 15th Five-Year Plan, accelerating the formation of a new development landscape, continuously expanding the scope of its high-level opening up, as well as strongly supporting high-quality Chinese brands in going global.

     Mr Yau noted that there has been an increasing amount of high-quality Chinese baijiu entering the Hong Kong market in recent years. In 2025, the total volume of duty-paid Chinese baijiu entering the Hong Kong market reached over 1.3 million litres with a value of HK$350 million. At the same time, producers and traders worldwide have recognised Hong Kong as an important window to tap into the Asia-Pacific and Chinese Mainland markets. In 2025, the volume of liquor re-exported through Hong Kong to the Mainland reached 3.35 million litres, accounting for nearly 50 per cent of the total liquor re-export volume, with a value of about HK$3 billion.

     Noting that the brand value and global visibility of Chinese baijiu has been continuously rising, Mr Yau said that Mainland baijiu enterprises should seize the opportunity driven by the National 15th Five-Year Plan and go-global strategies to actively explore overseas markets. Hong Kong will continue to give full play to its role as a "super connector" and "super value-adder" to attract international investment while assisting Mainland baijiu enterprises in tapping into overseas markets.

     Mr Yau then visited the Wuliangye distillery in Yibin City to exchange views with its senior representatives and learn about the latest developments and sales strategies of the Chinese baijiu industry. Mr Yau also shared Hong Kong's significant achievements in promoting high-end liquor trading after the reduction in liquor duty. Coupled with Hong Kong's favourable business environment, enterprises are encouraged to use Hong Kong as a trading and distribution centre for high-end liquor including Chinese baijiu.

     Upon arrival in Sichuan from Beijing, Mr Yau yesterday (March 24) visited the Dujiangyan Base of the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda, which was built with support from the HKSAR Government after the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, to learn about its latest developments. Mr Yau also visited the Dujiangyan water conservancy project and had a lunch meeting with Deputy Secretary of the Dujiangyan Municipal Committee Mr Li Jianjun to gain a deeper understanding of the social and economic development of the city and exchange views on strengthening commercial and trade co-operation between the two places.

     The delegation will visit the distillery of Luzhou Laojiao, another renowned Sichuan liquor brand, tomorrow (March 26) before proceeding to Guizhou to continue its visit.

Ends/Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Issued at HKT 19:00

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