The 47th World Congress of Vine and Wine and the General Assembly of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) opened in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, on October 12. Zhang Zhili, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, attended the opening ceremony and delivered remarks.  

Vice Minister Zhang said that the congress marked an important milestone in China’s high-standard opening-up of its vine and wine sector and the strengthening of its integration with the global industry. As a recent member of the OIV and one of the world’s major vine and wine producers, China has built on its natural resource endowment in recent years to modernize the sector, boost rural development and incomes, advance green development, and expand international cooperation. These efforts have yielded tangible results. China stands ready to use the congress as an opportunity to deepen practical cooperation with the OIV and other countries, promote the sharing of expertise and technology, strengthen trade and economic ties, and enhance policy coordination. China will also play an active role in global industry governance and work with other countries to foster the continued growth of the global vine and wine sector.  

Zhang Yupu, Chairman of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region; Yvette van der Merwe, OIV President; John Barker, OIV Director General; and Majnun Mammadov, Minister of Agriculture of Azerbaijan, attended the congress, together with more than 800 representatives from 51 OIV Member States and relevant international organizations.