On May 13, the company was invited to attend the “Guangdong Time-Honored Brands Europe Economic and Trade Promotion Conference – London Station,” organized by the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province.
The event was held at the historic National Liberal Club in London. Guangzhou Time-Honored Brand Investment Holding Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Guangzhou State-Owned Assets Management Group, led a delegation of more than ten representative enterprises of Guangdong’s century-old brands to showcase their products and innovations. Industries represented included traditional craftsmanship, catering, intangible cultural heritage and creative industries, and green food processing.
In his speech, Mr. He Jun, Deputy Director-General of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Commerce, noted that Guangdong’s GDP reached a new milestone of RMB 14 trillion in 2024, ranking first in China for 36 consecutive years. The province’s foreign trade volume surpassed RMB 9 trillion, accounting for 21% of the national total. Guangdong is also rich in time-honored brands, with 281 recognized “Guangdong Time-Honored Brands,” 72 of which are also designated as “China Time-Honored Brands.” Among them, 91 brands have a history of over 100 years, with the oldest dating back to the 15th century. He highlighted the UK’s extensive experience in brand heritage and innovation, which Guangdong could learn from. He expressed hopes that the promotion event would elevate economic and trade cooperation between Guangdong and the UK and extended a warm invitation to British entrepreneurs to participate in the 2025 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Time-Honored Brands (Cultural) Expo.
Andrew Seaton, Honorary Vice Chairman of the China-Britain Business Council, emphasized in his remarks that the UK and China maintain close economic ties. He praised Guangdong’s time-honored brands for their exceptional product quality and cultural depth, expressing hope that this event would serve as a catalyst for deeper business collaboration between the two sides.
During the China-UK enterprise exchange session, Byron Constable, CEO of Duelstone, shared a successful case study, offering valuable insights to attendees. Representatives from Guangdong’s time-honored brands also presented their development journeys, product highlights, and market prospects, giving participants a direct understanding of the strength and potential of these historic enterprises.
The event also featured the official launch of the “Legacy Echoes: Oral History of Guangdong Time-Honored Brands” project. Jointly initiated by the Shenzhen Chamber of Commerce and Cambridge CamRiver Publishing in the UK, the project aims to document and explore the stories of inheritance and innovation among Guangdong’s traditional enterprises.
Mr. Qiu Zhaojun, Managing Director, and Ms. Wang Jia, Marketing Development Managing, represented the company at the event.