Contentment, in days gone by, was said to be a plate of salted duck with a glass of wine and the evening paper on the banks of the Qinhuai River. Thanks to a new agreement, Europeans now have the chance to also enjoy this epitome of Nanjing culture.
The EU-China Geographical Indications (GI) Agreement entered force on 1 March. Aimed at protecting the rights and interests of each other’s famous products, Nanjing Salted Duck, pride and joy of the city, joins 99 other well-known Chinese products on the list.
The bilateral agreement that seeks to protect 100 European GIs in China and 100 Chinese GIs in the European Union against usurpation and imitation, was signed on 14 September of last year. It is intended to bring reciprocal trade benefits and introduce consumers to guaranteed, quality products, on both sides.
Among the famed-European products now enjoying better protections in China are Cava, Champagne, Feta, Irish whiskey, Münchener Bier, Ouzo, Polska Wódka, Porto, Prosciutto di Parma and Queso Manchego.
In addition to our very own Nanjing salted duck, on the Chinese side can be found Anji White Tea, Shanxi Aged Vinegar, Yantai Apple and Korla Fragrant Pear from Xinjiang. There is also more than just food on the list; rice paper and Sichuan Brocade are also now recognised by, and protected in, the EU, reported Nanjing Daily yesterday.
Within 4 years after its entry into force, the scope of the EU-China GI Agreement is set to expand to cover additional 175 names from both sides.
That the agreement entered force this week could not have come at a better time. Trade between China and the EU last year surpassed that with the USA, making Europe China’s biggest trading partner. Last year, China and the EU did US$709 billion (€586 billion) in business, compared with US$671 billion worth of imports and exports to and from the USA, reported the BBC on 17 February.
Speaking at the time of the agreement’s signing, EU Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner, Janusz Wojciechowski, said, “European Geographical Indications products are renowned for their quality and diversity, it is important to protect them at an EU and global level to ensure their authenticity and preserve their reputation”.
And reputation is what it’s all about. Just imagine all those elegant Parisians sitting on the banks of the Seine, reading Le Figaro, holding a glass of Mouton Cadet with one hand and gnawing on Nanjing salted duck with the other. Now’s that’s style.
