Published by ChinaMNC · Yingshouyingzikuang

Chengde Mayor Visits Beijing Institutions to Advance Health-Food Industry Cooperation

A Chengde delegation led by Mayor Fan Hongping visited China Agricultural University and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs' planning institute on October 27, agreeing to deepen cooperation on the health-food industry, technology transfer and talent.

What Happened

On October 27, a Chengde municipal delegation led by Mayor Fan Hongping traveled to Beijing to visit China Agricultural University and the Planning and Design Research Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. According to the Chengde municipal government, the two sides held in-depth discussions on cooperation and reached a series of cooperation agreements.

For foreign founders evaluating where to register or expand a company in China, the visit signals the city's active push to attract investment and build out its health-food sector, with university and ministry-level research bodies as partners.

First Stop: China Agricultural University

At China Agricultural University, Fan met Chen Wei, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the university's president, and Lin Wanlong, the university's vice president.

Fan described Chengde's approach to economic development, saying the city is focused on attracting investment, launching projects and clustering industries. He identified the health-food industry as a key lever for rural industrial revitalization, and said the city aims to become an innovation hub for health food in northern Beijing and a model for high-quality development.

Fan said the university's research strength and academic record fit well with Chengde's health-food ambitions. He proposed deeper city-university cooperation in technological innovation, commercialization of research results and talent development, with science and technology supporting the sector's growth.

Chen said Chengde sits close to Beijing and Tianjin, has a strong ecological environment, rich specialty agricultural products and a solid agricultural base. He said the university will leverage its research and talent strengths, focus on integrating industry, academia and research, and deepen cooperation across multiple areas to raise city-university collaboration to a new level.

Second Stop: Ministry Planning Institute

At the Planning and Design Research Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Fan held talks with Wang Yan, the institute's president and party secretary.

Fan noted that Chengde is a water-conservation area for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the birthplace of the Saihanba spirit, with a distinctive location, a good ecological environment and abundant natural resources. He said the city is studying and applying the "Thousand Villages" experience — a reference to the rural revitalization program — actively developing the health-food industry, promoting deeper integration of primary, secondary and tertiary industries, and advancing comprehensive rural revitalization.

Fan said the institute has long worked on agriculture, rural areas and farmers, and that there is broad room for cooperation with Chengde. He invited the institute to bring its technical, talent and think-tank strengths to bear in all-round, deep cooperation, using advanced planning concepts to support Chengde's agricultural and rural modernization and high-end technical results to drive high-quality agricultural development.

Wang said the institute will strengthen communication and coordination and deepen institute-local linkages. Building on prior cooperation, he said, the two sides will continue to explore potential and expand cooperation space for mutual benefit.

Who Else Attended

Vice Mayor Shen Yujun and Secretary-General of the Municipal Government Xue Liandi took part in the activities.

What This Means for Foreign Founders

• Priority sector. Chengde has named the health-food industry a key focus for investment attraction and industrial clustering. Foreign founders in food processing, nutrition, agricultural technology or related supply chains may find a receptive policy environment.
• Research partnerships. The city is pursuing cooperation with a major agricultural university and a ministry-level planning institute. Companies that commercialize research may find channels for technology transfer and talent recruitment, though specific terms would need to be negotiated directly.
• Location advantages cited. Officials highlighted proximity to Beijing and Tianjin, ecological conditions and specialty agricultural resources — relevant for sourcing, logistics and product positioning.
• Rural integration. The city is promoting integration of primary, secondary and tertiary industries and rural revitalization, which may create opportunities in agricultural processing and rural services.
• Practical next steps. Foreign founders should verify registration requirements, sector-specific licensing for food products, and any investment incentives with local authorities or professional advisers. The source article describes intentions and discussions, not binding commitments or specific incentives.

Key Takeaways

The visit reflects Chengde's effort to link its health-food ambitions with national research expertise. For foreign founders, the main signal is that the city is actively courting investment in this sector and building institutional partnerships. However, the article does not specify investment amounts, tax incentives, land terms or timelines. Founders should treat the visit as context for due diligence rather than as a guarantee of benefits, and should confirm details with the Chengde authorities or qualified advisers.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.