The Opening Ceremony and Special Forum of "China International Candy Season" was Held in Beijing

On September 10, as an important event under the framework of the 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services, the opening ceremony and special forum of the "China International Candy Season" was held in Shougang Park, Beijing.

At the beginning of the event, guests unveiled the original IP of the candy season,“Candy Fairies”, the Plaza beside the Shougang Ski Jump Tower, and the“China International Candy Season”officially kicked off.

Unveiling Ceremony of "Candy Fairies", the Original IP of "China International Candy Season"

During the event, Shougang Park, with "industrial style + candy aesthetics" as the core, transformed the Winter Olympics heritage Shougang Ski Jump and the industrial heritage Shougang Cooling Tower into immersive experience spaces, and designed ten functional areas including intangible cultural heritage workshops, brand exhibition halls, interactive entertainment, and themed restaurants and cafes.

Moving to the lecture hall of Shougang's Old Red Building, the guests held a forum exchange focusing on the theme of "The Backbone of National Brands - High-Quality Development of the Food Industry and Global Path of Independent Innovation."

Qi Xuchun, Vice Chairman of the 12th National Committee for the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said that the road ahead for China's candy industry is a vivid practice of the country's promotion of "three transformations"(transforming from Made in China to Created in China, from Chinese speed to Chinese quality, and from Chinese products to Chinese brands) and building a strong brand country. This year's candy season focuses on products and trade, aiming to explore a path for high-quality industrial development with innovation as the soul, quality as the foundation, and brand as the sail.

Han Zirong, member of the Beijing CPPCC Party Leadership Group and Chairman of the Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles, said that the Candy Season will use candy as a "small incision" to make a "big project" of industrial upgrading, cultural prosperity, and people's well-being. And it will use the bond of "sweetness" to tell Chinese stories and Beijing stories, enhance the international influence of the capital's culture, and showcase the temperament of Beijing as a cultural center.

Li Yue, Party Secretary, Chairman and President of China Fortune Media Group, said that the "China International Candy Season" is based in Beijing, radiates across the country and connects the world. It is an innovative practice result jointly promoted by policy guidance, industry empowerment, market operation, cultural injection, and efforts from multiple parties.

Qiu Yinfu, deputy secretary of the Party Committee, director and general manager of Shougang Group, said that Shougang Park will seize the major opportunity of the coordinated development of the "two parks and one river", plan the construction of the convention and exhibition town with high standards, and create a new characteristic consumption ecology that integrates culture, commerce, tourism and sports, and covers "food, accommodation, travel, shopping and entertainment".

Zhang Jinsong, Party Secretary and Chairman of Beijing Electronics Holding said that the Candy Season links the two major cultural landmarks of 798 Park and Shougang Park, achieving resonance between the East and the West and injecting vitality into the cultural and food industries.

Cai Yongfeng, vice president of the China National Food Industry Association, said that the food industry is the pillar industry of the national economy, and the candy industry, as an important branch of the industry that combines "emotional attributes" and "cultural carriers", is standing at a critical juncture of "inheriting classics, breaking through with innovation, and going global."

During the event, Shougang Group Deputy General Manager Jiang Nan and China Fortune Media Group's China Fortune Network's Zhang Chunyan signed a strategic agreement on behalf of Shougang Group and China Fortune Media Group. Qiu Yinfu, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Director and General Manager of Shougang Group, and Li Yue, Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman and President of China Fortune Media Group, witnessed the signing; Zhang Jingyu, Deputy Secretary General of China National Food Industry Association, and Sun Yaqiong of China Fortune Network signed a strategic agreement with China Fortune Media Group on behalf of China National Food Industry Association. Cai Yongfeng, Vice President of China National Food Industry Association, and Li Yue, Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman and President of China Fortune Media Group, witnessed the signing.

China Fortune Media Group reached strategic partnerships with the China National Food Industry Association and the Shougang Group, respectively. The parties will engage in in-depth collaboration in areas such as industry research, brand communication, and industrial empowerment, working together to promote the construction of a "culture & technology & consumption" ecosystem and support brand building and cultural dissemination in the food industry.

At the forum, Zhang Qingyuan, Vice Dean of the China Fortune Academy, released the report "Unlocking the Code for Transformation and Expansion in the Candy Industry—A Development Report on the Integration of Cultural and Creative Industries in the Food Sector."
Jin Zhengyu, Academician of the China Academy of Engineering and Professor at the School of Food Science and Technology, delivered a keynote speech focusing on "Technological Innovation and Industrial Development of Snack Foods in China." He pointed out that as snack food consumption levels upgrade, sales channels are innovating from decentralized to centralized models, and continuously evolving sales methods have become a common choice for snack food enterprises.

Hu Yueyang, Deputy General Manager of the Trading Department at COFCO Sugar, delivered a speech on "High-Quality Development and Globalization Trends in China's Sugar Industry." She emphasized that promoting high-quality development in the sugar industry requires adherence to the principles of premiumization, intelligence, and sustainability.

Chen Jiangjun, Chief Director of the R&D Center, delivered a speech titled "Opportunities and Challenges for Food Enterprises Going Global in the New Era." He noted that food enterprises in the new era primarily face "four major challenges" in their global expansion: high regulatory barriers, diverse taste preferences, weak brand recognition, and difficult channel penetration.

Gao Weidong, Party Committee Secretary of Hsu Fu Chi International Limited, stated that as a "national classic snack brand," Hsu Fu Chi regards safety, compliance, quality, and sustainable development as the "four cornerstones" of its enduring growth, always prioritizing consumer experience as the sole factor in product consideration.

Liu Guoqing, Head of the Snack Food Industry at Meituan Instashopping, pointed out that with instant retail "30-minute delivery of everything", becoming the mainstream way for consumers to purchase snack foods, Meituan Instashopping has become a crucial second growth curve for snack food brands and physical stores.

During the high-level dialogue session, five distinguished guests—Zhang Qingyuan, Vice Dean of the China Fortune Academy; Bi Qinggui, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the China International Meat and Food Import and Export Exhibition; Ma Likai, President of the Confectionery Committee of the China National Food Industry Association (CCCA) and President of Sister Ma Group; Gao Weidong, Party Committee Secretary of Hsu Fu Chi International Limited; and Zhao Zhiqiang, Founder and Chairman of Bigpizza—engaged in an in-depth discussion on the path to high-quality development in China's candy industry.

The "China International Candy Season" was guided by the China National Food Industry Association and hosted by the Confectionery Committee of the China National Food Industry Association, Beijing Shougang Construction Investment Co., Ltd., China Fortune Media Group, and Beijing 798 Culture Technology Co., Ltd. The event was organized by Beijing Shougang Sports Culture Co., Ltd. and Beijing Shangshangtianhe Culture Media Co., Ltd. This year’s "China International Candy Season" will continue until November 16.