2026 Global Food and Beverage Forum Opens in Haikou

2026-06-29 Editor

Haikou, Hainan, China, June 29, 2026– Steven Zhao, Canada & World Report -The 2026 Global Food and Beverage Forumofficially opened Friday in Haikou, Hainan Province. The two-day forum, running from June 27 to 28, has brought together more than 1,000 government officials, diplomats, industry leaders, scientists, business representatives, cross-border e-commerce professionals and media from China and overseas. This year’s edition marks two major milestones: Russia is participating for the first time as the Guest Country, and the Global Food and Beverage Expo is being held alongside the forum for the first time, creating an integrated platform for industry dialogue, product exhibitions, business matchmaking and international trade.

The forum is guided by the International Society of Convention Studies and the China Food Culture Research Association, and organized by the Global Food and Beverage Forum Organizing Committee. Held under the theme “New Momentum, New Opportunities, New Future,” the event takes place as the Hainan Free Trade Port enters a new phase of development, highlighting Hainan’s role as an international gateway for the food and beverage industry.

Among the distinguished guests attending the opening ceremony were Zhang Fa, former Standing Committee Member of the Hainan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and former Director of its Committee for Social and Legal Affairs; Cao Jiang, former Second-Level Inspector of the Hainan Provincial Health Commission and President of the Hainan Health Industry Promotion Association; Yang Zhendong, Deputy Director of the Investment Promotion Bureau of Bijiang District, Tongren City, Guizhou Province; Jiang Dapeng, Deputy Director of the Investment Promotion Bureau of Songtao Miao Autonomous County, Guizhou Province; Valerii Cherkashin, Business Representative of the Russian Federation; IV Sokhom, Consul General of the Consulate General of Cambodia in Haikou; Xue Huifeng, Commercial Commissioner of the Embassy of Ethiopia in China; Datuk Zheng You Wen of Malaysia; and Guo Rui, aerospace breeding scientist and Director of the Shaanxi Aerospace Breeding Engineering Technology Research Center. Representatives from approximately 40 Chinese media organizations also attended the opening ceremony.

Prior to the official opening, media representatives interviewed executives from Baicaoin, Shanshanling Vine Tea, and Fanjingshan Liquor, followed by a guided exhibition tour for invited guests.

In his welcome address, Ren Yongchang, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Global Food and Beverage Forum, said the forum has evolved over four years from an industry dialogue platform into a comprehensive service platform covering exhibitions, international cooperation, brand incubation and global market expansion. He announced an upgraded Seed Program, under which Baicaoin serves as the first benchmark brand. The initiative plans to identify and support an additional 99 promising Chinese food and beverage brands by providing exhibition opportunities, international certification, global distribution channels and access to international events, including the Panama World Expo. Ren said the forum aims to build a complete ecosystem connecting domestic incubation, Hainan-based empowerment and global distribution.

Representing this year’s Guest Country, Cherkashin Valery Valeryevich introduced Russian grain products, edible oils and forest-based health foods while leading a 20-member Russian delegation. Russia has established a dedicated national pavilion and organized a special China-Russia procurement session during the forum. IV Sokhom, Consul General of Cambodia in Haikou, said the Hainan Free Trade Port is creating new opportunities for Cambodian agricultural exports, including rice and tropical fruits, while Cambodia has established a featured exhibition area to promote bilateral agricultural cooperation.

As the forum’s title sponsor, Baicaoin, developed by Shennong Baicao (Hainan) International Holdings Group, was highlighted as the first benchmark brand under the Seed Program. Ding Tianxu, Chairman of the Group, shared the company’s international development experience, noting that Baicaoin received the Golden Ao Award at the third Global Food and Beverage Forum before participating in the 21st Panama World Expo-associated commercial awards program, where it received a Gold Award and subsequently entered overseas markets. He said the company will continue expanding its herbal beverage business while sharing its international experience with other Chinese brands.
Following the presentation of a short documentary on Baicaoin’s development, Ren Yongchang officially launched the upgraded Seed Program, reaffirming the forum’s commitment to supporting Chinese brands seeking international expansion.

A high-level roundtable discussion focused on new export opportunities for China’s food and beverage industry following the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port. Participants included Li Fenglin, Chairman of Shennong Baicao Group; An Ning, representing JD.com; Cherkashin Valery Valeryevich; and Xue Huifeng. Li introduced the company’s strategy of relocating its headquarters to Haikou’s Jiangdong New Area to leverage Hainan’s tax, customs and logistics advantages. He said the company’s six herbal beverages have entered markets in the Americas and that future plans include developing vine tea and gastrodia products from Guizhou alongside Hainan specialties such as noni and agarwood for Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern markets.

The keynote session featured presentations by Guo Rui, Dr. Xu Weijun, Datuk Zheng You Wen, and scholar Wu Menghua, covering aerospace breeding technologies, ecological agriculture, the global halal market, and the growing opportunities for industries based on the traditional Chinese concept of food and medicine sharing the same origin.

The opening ceremony concluded with representatives of Baicaoin leading participants in reading the Haikou Declaration, calling for greater international cooperation, technological innovation, sustainable development and the global expansion of food and beverage brands. At the same time, a dedicated Russia-China procurement matchmaking session was held in Meeting Room No. 2 of the Haikou Convention Factory.

Running alongside the forum, the inaugural Global Food and Beverage Expo features more than 100 exhibitors from China and overseas, including dedicated pavilions from Russia and Cambodia, as well as displays of herbal health beverages, Siberian agricultural products, ASEAN fruits and vegetables, Guizhou specialty products, aerospace agricultural technologies, prepared foods and food processing equipment. Organizers also distributed RMB100 consumption vouchers to visitors to encourage public participation and business engagement.

The forum continues on June 27 with parallel forums and international procurement matchmaking sessions focusing on cross-border supply chains, functional foods, prepared foods, aerospace agriculture and China-Russia-ASEAN trade cooperation. On June 28, the second and final day, the program includes specialized forums on foods for special medical purposes and pandan products, a Going Global Masterclass, centralized project signing ceremonies, a briefing on the “Direct to the Panama World Expo” initiative under the Seed Program, and concludes with the Golden Ao Awards Ceremony, recognizing outstanding companies and innovative products across the food and beverage industry.

Now in its fourth year, the Global Food and Beverage Forum has evolved into a comprehensive international platform integrating conferences, exhibitions, digital trade, brand incubation, cross-border business cooperation and global market expansion. Organizers said the forum will continue leveraging the Hainan Free Trade Port to strengthen international cooperation, facilitate global food trade and support the worldwide growth of Chinese food and beverage brands.