Zunyi, China – November 01, 2026 – On October 17, the parallel forum “Global Languages, Chinese Flavors” was held in Maotai Town, Guizhou Province, as part of the 2026 Chishui River Forum. Experts, scholars and representatives of the liquor industry from China and abroad gathered to explore practical approaches to cross-cultural communication for Chinese baijiu, under the theme “Cultural Confidence and the Heritage of Liquor and Civilization in Global Dialogue”.
Participants agreed that to expand baijiu’s presence overseas, the industry must both stay rooted in its rich cultural heritage and make effective use of narratives that resonate globally. The goal is to move beyond simply exporting products toward fostering deeper cultural understanding and appreciation.
At the forum, participants drew on the distinctive strengths of baijiu-producing regions and practical communication experience to share their perspectives on how Chinese baijiu can remain rooted in local traditions while reaching global audiences.
Culture is rooted in everyday life and brought to life through the stories of ordinary people. In 2025, the China Economic Information Service and Kweichow Moutai jointly launched the “Moutai and I” creative works collection campaign. The initiative received nearly 4,000 submissions, of which 81 were selected through expert evaluation.
At the awards ceremony for the winning entries, Shan Yanzhong, Deputy Party Secretary and Chairman of the Labor Union of Moutai Group, said that Moutai has consistently sought to strengthen its cultural roots, innovate in cultural expression and expand the reach of cultural communication. Through cultural co-creation, Moutai has forged connections with people from diverse backgrounds, enriched the meaning of its cultural heritage and brought greater depth and diversity to the ways it expresses its culture.
At the forum, Chinese and international guests exchanged views on expanding baijiu’s overseas presence and explored innovative approaches to storytelling and communication. They noted that global expansion of brands involves more than cross-border product sales; it also requires building awareness and trust, leveraging distribution channels and platforms to cultivate new consumer demand, and engaging overseas consumers in co-creation. By presenting baijiu through a more youthful, lifestyle-oriented lens, brands can help transform it from an unfamiliar Chinese specialty into a premium spirit recognized and appreciated by consumers worldwide.
During the forum, Wu Wei, Vice Chairman of the International Brand Academy and President of International Brand Network, released the 2026 Ranking of Chinese Baijiu Enterprise Brands. The ranking offered the world a broader picture of China’s baijiu industry and provided an international reference for understanding China’s traditional distilling culture and industry landscape.
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