At the 22nd China (Luohe) Food Expo, held from Friday to Sunday in Luohe City, Henan Province, dubbed the "Food Capital of China," the international exhibition area was filled with the enticing aroma of specialty foods.

Overseas exhibitors interviewed at the event expressed strong confidence in the Chinese economy.

More than 50 companies from 12 countries, including Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, France, Italy, South Africa, and Belarus, participated in the expo, showcasing over 1,000 specialty products.

As the guest of honor at this year's China Food Expo, Malaysia showcased a wide array of specialty items, including coconut jelly and white coffee.

"Taste is a magical thing, and it quickly brings people of Malaysia and China closer," said Malaysian exhibitor Ma Ziming （The name is in Pinyin）. He brought over 500 types of specialty food products to the expo, noting that Chinese consumers have shown a strong preference for Malaysian foods.

Many Malaysian brands have already entered large Chinese supermarket network. With further implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, Ma expects broader cooperation between Malaysia and China in the food sector.

At the France pavilion, more than a dozen varieties of French wine drew particular attention. Kong Qiuli, who had traveled all the way from Haikou City, Hainan Province, sought business partners in Luohe.

French wine enjoys a blue ocean market in China, Kong said, noting that the number of local wine consumers is steadily growing and that French wine holds tremendous medium- to long-term potential in the market.

Food products from ASEAN countries were also popular among visitors. At the Thailand pavilion, the aroma of Tom Yum soup attracted a large crowd. Thai exhibitor Nana was busy cooking the soup while promoting her products.

Nana said that on the very first day of the expo, she secured several major orders. She added that Thai durian-based products are favored by Chinese consumers, and that her team has already started exploring livestream e-commerce as a new sales channel.

At the Belarus pavilion, over 100 items across six major categories were on display, including dairy products, juices, chocolates, flour, snacks, and canned fruits and vegetables.

According to Wang Qingfeng, president of the Belarus-Henan Chamber of Commerce, all products were shipped directly from Belarus. Thanks to efficient customs clearance and transportation, the goods arrived in Luohe in just 14 days. Among them, ice cream and other items proved especially popular. So far, 14 agency agreements have been signed with a total order value of $1 million.

On Saturday, with the Belarusian Trade and Economic Representative Office inaugurated in Luohe, the Belarus pavilion was launched here.

Wang stated that the pavilion is not only a platform for product display and sales, but also a comprehensive hub for bilateral economic and trade investment, helping more Chinese food companies expand into Central and Eastern European markets.

(By Gong Weiwei)