The China-ASEAN Expo will launch its first World Rice Noodle Conference later this year in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and the organizer is attaching importance to attracting the maximum involvement of participants from Guangxi's neighboring province, Guangdong.

As part of its efforts, organizers stopped by Guangzhou, the provincial capital of Guangdong, on Friday. It was the first site in its series of campaigns nationwide to promote the forthcoming three-day trade fair, which is set to make its debut on Nov 16 in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region capital.

Rice noodles are a popular food in China, especially in South China, as well as in many of the ASEAN countries.

Guangdong's well-developed industrial chain for rice noodles, huge market potential, and its geographic proximity to Guangxi are believed to be among the main reasons why the province has been prioritized by the organizer.

Deemed as a major trade fair of the China-ASEAN Expo, the upcoming World Rice Noodle Conference will cover an exhibition area of 20,000 square meters, with seven halls available for the exhibition of raw materials, technologies and equipment, condiments, additives, garnishes, packaging, franchising, cold-chain logistics, and cooking training, among others, according to Wang Lei, secretary-general of the secretariat of the China-ASEAN Expo and president of Guangxi International Expo Group.

In addition, supplementary events including seminars on an industrial development report, a ceremony to confer such honors as international rice noodle capital and shortlisted famous rice noodle eateries, as well as cooking contests will also be held to facilitate industrial exchanges and co-operation arrangements.

"The 2019 World Rice Noodle Conference will help to boost consumption and employment in Guangdong province, while further promoting the local specialties and providing solutions to the bottleneck of rice noodle's industrial development," Wang said.

According to Wang, many ASEAN organizations including consulates, industrial associations, and chambers of commerce have vowed to make their presence at the event, citing those from the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam as examples.

"The China-ASEAN Expo, as an authoritative State-level international exposition, has become a major platform for exchanges and co-operation between China and ASEAN nations, as well as other Belt and Road countries," said Wu Li, chairman of the World Federation of Chinese Catering Industry.

"I hope that the 2019 World Rice Noodle Conference will fully make use of its role in strengthening the exchanges and co-operation in the world's catering industry, especially in the rice noodle industry," Wu added.

Wang Lei, secretary-general of the secretariat of China-ASEAN Expo and president of Guangxi International Expo Group, delivers a keynote speech. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]