Food companies are showcasing their digital tools in industrial chains at the ongoing second China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) opened in Beijing on Tuesday, which facilitate healthy food supply and boost trade linkage worldwide.
The five-day event has gathered industry leaders and experts from around the world to promote global cooperation in industrial and supply chains.
As the world's first national exhibition on supply chains, the CISCE, serves as a platform for companies to exchange opinions and achieve long-term cooperation across supply chains.
Themed "Connecting the World for a Shared Future," this year's expo sees the participation of more than 600 companies, up about 20 percent from last year, according to organizers.
At the agricultural pavilion of the expo, Thailand's leading agro-food company, Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) is showcasing its full industrial chain of agricultural products, featuring a smart shrimp factory.
According to the company, the CP Shrimp King Smart Farm Platform provides a one-stop service chain from the hatchery all the way to the customers' tables, by using Internet of Things (IoT) and AI technology to achieve the real time whole supply chain monitoring, ensuring successful shrimp farming and healthy food supply.
The shrimp packages are transported to the Chinese market via cold chain logistics from Thailand, with IoT devices monitoring the temperature throughout the journey, said the CPF.
"After packaging the shrimp, we transport them through the cold chain. We have achieved digital operation in the whole process from Thailand to China, ensuring that every step is controllable and traceable," said Chen Mei, director of the Digital Innovation Center with CP Research Institute.
According to official data from China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance (CAPPMA), from January to March this year, the quantity of shrimp imported from Thailand to China saw an approximate year-on-year increase of about 29 percent.
As China's consumption power continues to rise, shrimp from Thailand is just one of the many agricultural products gracing the tables of Chinese consumers. In 2023, the total import and export volume of aquatic products in China reached 10.56 million tons, with a total value of 44.2 billion U.S. dollars. These achievements are not possible without efficient full industry chains.
Digital tools in cold chain logistics facilitate cross-border trade linkage
The robust and integrated development between Hengqin and Macao stands as a testament to the success of the "one country, two systems" policy, which has earned widespread approval from Macao residents, said Ho Ion Sang, vice president of the General Union of Neighbor Associations of Macao.
During a press interview ahead of the closing meeting of the third session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on Monday, Ho, also a member of the 14th CPPCC National Committee, highlighted the profound economic and social transformations Macao has undergone since its return to the motherland in 1999.
Six years ago, at a community-level meeting, Ho met a Macao resident surnamed Chen who had relocated to Zhongshan City in neighboring Guangdong Province after marriage. She commuted daily between Zhongshan and Macao for work and was particularly concerned about her children's education.
To promote integrated development between Macao and Guangdong, the central government launched the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin in 2021. Located at the southern tip of Zhuhai City in Guangdong Province, Hengqin is separated from Macao by a narrow stretch of water.
"In December 2020, the Zhuhai municipal government announced the Macao New Neighborhood project, which provides 3,800 housing units in Hengqin for Macao residents, along with schools, healthcare facilities, and a public service center. Macao residents have realized that integration between the two regions has made significant strides. Their children can now enroll in the Hengqin School Affiliated to Hou Kong Middle School and receive Macao's educational benefits," said Ho. He further noted that Macao residents in Hengqin have access to medical care and other public services through facilities directly operated by Macao's Health Bureau, as well as a 24-hour administrative service center.
Last year, Chen and her family moved to the Macao New Neighborhood, greatly improving their commuting, schooling, and healthcare conditions. According to Ho, the family deeply appreciates the joint efforts of the governments in both regions.
"Chen's experience vividly illustrates how Macao residents have benefited from national policies. It reflects the close ties between Guangdong and Macao over the past 25 years since Macao's return to the motherland. Hengqin represents a dreamland that harnesses the strengths of both regions. The sweetness of this dreamland is tangible, and the integrated development between Hengqin and Macao stands as factual proof to the world that the 'one country, two systems' policy is viable, achievable, and wins people's hearts," said Ho.
The annual session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee, China's top political advisory body, took place in Beijing from March 4 to 10.
Hengqin-Macao integrated development testifies to success of 'one country, two systems'
