Ningxia seeks French cooperation in wine production

Northwestern China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, dubbed "China's Bordeaux" for its quality wine grapes, hopes to introduce advanced wine producing technologies from French wine producers to upgrade its wine production, said Ma Fu, head of the Department of Commerce of Ningxia, in taking an interview by Nouvelles D'europe during his visit to Paris in April 2011.

Ma Fu, head of the the Department of Commerce of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. [Zhao Cheng/Oushinet]

Ma told that the wine producers in Ningxia had contacts and cooperation with French counterparts in the past years and French wine specialists visited Ningxia, finding that Ningxia has the same soil and climate conditions as those in southwest France's Bordeaux.

With a reputation as "the best planting area for wine grapes in China", nearly all the big wine producers in China have set up grape planting bases in the region.

At present, Ningxia has more than 10,000-hectare grapery with ripe grapes and 20,000-hectare grapery of newly planted vines, and the region plans to expand the grapery to 67,000 hectares in 5 – 10 years, according to Ma.

Ma said Ningxia is a good choice of investment for French wine producers who want to gain more market shares in China. He believed the prospect of wine production cooperation between France and Ningxia is promising.

Ningxia is also a world renowned cashmere producer and dehaired cashmere processed and sold here accounts 48% of the world market and 60% of Chinese market, said Ma, who came to France to participate in the International Textile Exhibition held in Paris with Ningxia cashmere producers.