An Giang (VNA) – A conference to seekmethods towards boosting rice trade cooperation between Vietnam and China washeld in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang on May 9.

China is one of the biggest rice producers andrice import markets in the world, according to Phan Loi, Deputy Director of theprovincial Department of Industry and Trade.

An Giang exports over 400,000 tonnes of riceannually, he said, adding that the province is leading the country in buildinglarge-scale paddy fields and material areas.

It is able to meet the import criteria of countries, including China, he said.

With the assistance of the Ministry of Industryand Trade, the opportunity for An Giang rice to penetrate into the Chinesemarket is absolutely feasible.

The locality has big ambitions to export morerice to China and aims to ship more products besides rice to the market.

Liu Ying, Vice Chairman of Shanxi province’sfood association and head of the Chinese business delegation, expressed highregard for the quality and price of rice in the Mekong Delta.

He advised Vietnamese exporters to obey China’sregulations on quarantines and design, and participate more in brand promotionas China has limited imports through unofficial channels while imposingstricter requirements for imports.

China’s modern population is increasingly busy,with little time to travel to markets to buy rice. Vietnamese businesses shouldpay attention to the production of suitably weighted rice bags for sale onlineto serve this segment, he recommended.

Tran Quoc Toan, deputy head of the Department ofForeign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said businessesparticipating in the conference are potential customers from the Shanxi foodassociation.

These firms have been allowed by the Chinese Governmentto import 180,000 tonnes of rice, accounting for about 10 percent of Vietnam’stotal rice exports to China.

The event also creates an opportunity forChinese rice importers to study Vietnam’s rice production development plans andorientations to seek cooperation contracts with Vietnamese partners.

On this occasion, the An Giang Department ofIndustry and Trade and the Shanxi food association signed a memorandum of understanding(MoU) on bilateral trade cooperation.

Two local businesses inked five MoUs on tradecooperation with Chinese firms. –VNA