Festival of national cuisine SCO-Beijing CBD, launched on 3 December 2021 as part of the Year of SCO Culture, was organised by the SCO Secretariat and the Administrative Committee of the Beijing Central Business District (Beijing CBD).
Opening remarks were delivered by SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov and Cui Xiaohao, Executive Deputy District Mayor of Chaoyang and Head of the Beijing CBD Administrative Committee.
Vladimir Norov pointed out that the SCO member states attached much importance to cultural and humanitarian cooperation as a key priority of their multifaceted interaction. The year 2021, when the SCO marked its 20th anniversary, has been declared the Year of SCO Culture, which testifies to the Organisation's resolve to strengthen and expand cultural and humanitarian cooperation in the SCO space.
The SCO Secretary-General noted that culinary workshops are a unique opportunity to promote national cuisines, draw attention to the member states' culinary heritage and strengthen cultural dialogue between them.
The parties spoke about the huge potential of the SCO countries' cultural and humanitarian cooperation for strengthening mutual understanding and rapprochement. They mentioned the importance of respecting national traditions and values and promoting the cultural flow through events such as the national food festival.
In this context, the parties expressed hope that cultural rapport and rapprochement would give fresh impetus to the further development of mutually beneficial trade, economic and investment cooperation, and that it will also promote ties between companies in the Beijing CBD and SCO capitals.
Cui Xiaohao invited SCO delegations to attend the 2022 Beijing CBD Forum.
Festival of national cuisine SCO-Beijing CBD includes a series of culinary classes attended by representatives of SCO member states' embassies in China, the SCO Secretariat and famous chefs from premium Beijing CBD class restaurants.
The festival's events are being reported by Xinhua, which also organised the video recording of the culinary classes. The national dishes cooked during them will be included in the basic menus of CBD restaurants.
The first cuisine workshop was attended by SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov, his wife and personnel of the SCO Secretariat, who cooked several national dishes.
The Beijing Central Business District (Beijing CBD) in the Chaoyang District of the Chinese capital is China's first national central business district. Its construction began under the master plan for Beijing's urban development approved by the State Council in 1993. One of Beijing's industrial districts, the CBD is flourishing thanks to the "dual district policy," that is, a combination of the National Comprehensive Demonstration Zone for Opening up the Service Industry and the China (Beijing) Pilot Free Trade Zone. The district's area is more than seven square kilometres.
The Beijing CBD is home to over 200,000 financial, media, IT and consulting companies, including majors from the Fortune 500 list. Over 50 percent of Beijing's Class A office buildings and 30 percent of five-star hotels are located in the CBD. It is also the venue of 90 percent of international commercial fairs and 50 percent of international conferences.
The annual Beijing CBD Forum, a major instrument for promoting China's international cooperation, is held to demonstrate the products and services of Chinese and international companies. It also offers a venue for the meetings of the world's business elite.