China Food and Drinks Fair turns online after delay

BEIJING -- The 102nd China Food and Drinks Fair will be held online from July 28 to 30 after a postponement due to COVID-19, according to the event's organizing committee.

Known as a barometer of the industry, the biannual fair was originally scheduled to be held from May 21 to 23 in Chengdu, capital city of southwestern China's Sichuan province.

The committee said in an online statement that it decided to make the event virtual amid the country's efforts to consolidate COVID-19 prevention and control, expecting the fair to further promote work and production resumption in the food and drinks industry.

The committee will team up with e-commerce giant Alibaba in using new technologies such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing to facilitate online showcasing, marketing, and deals during the fair.

It also announced that preparations are underway for holding the 103rd CFDF in an exhibition center in Jinan, capital city of East China's Shandong province, from Oct 13 to 15.

The 101st CFDF was held in Tianjin in October 2019, with nearly 120,000 square meters of exhibition space. It saw the participation of nearly 3,000 enterprises from about 40 countries and regions.