Hong Kong Health Food Industry Visited Guangzhou for Trading Development

A group 25 members of the health food industry embarked the express train early in the morning on 6 June 2006 to begin a 2-day trip to Guangzhou organized by Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC) and Hong Kong Health Food Association. The first stop in the afternoon at Guangzhou is visit to the Food & Drug Administration of Guangdong Province. The Director General, Dr. Ma Guangyu, gave the visiting group an overview of the regulatory control on health food. Division Chief, Ms. Wang Liping, presented details of the new health food regulation implemented in July 2005. After the visit, the group called upon the head quarters of Kin Man Medicine Chain Store of the Guangzhou Medicine Company and had a tour in their flagship store. The senior management, Mr. W.F. Yiu and Mr. W.D. Yuen then gave a brief introduction of their chain stores. In the evening, TDC had hosted a dinner for business matching between China and Hong Kong companies. Over 70 people had attended and most were government officials, company executive and leaders in trade associations. In the following morning, the group paid a courtesy visit to the Guangdong Province Medical and Drug Industry Association. The Executive Director talked about the evolution and organization of his Association. He also shared with the group his views about promoting and protecting the tradition culture of Chinese herbal “Cool” drink. Then the group stopped by the manufacture plant of Hutchison Whampoa Guangzhou Baiyunshan Chinese Medicine Company Limited and watched a video of the company. The plant manager presented the company’s strategies in product development and business expansion. The final stop of the trip was visit to Guangzhou Wanglaoji Pharmaceutical Company Limited. After listening to the history of the 170-year old company, the group led by a factory manager to tour around the manufacture lines, packaging workshops, and the logistic facilities. The trip has opened up a channel for participants to communicate with government departments and potential business partners in Guangdong Province.