BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – Brunei Darussalam has officially launched an online store — the Brunei National Pavilion — under China’s largest e-retailer, JD.com, providing greater exposure for Bruneian-made products to the wider Chinese market.
The opening ceremony on Thursday, was held at the Kerry Hotel in Beijing, China, and was officiated by the Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister of Finance and Economy YB Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Mohd Amin Liew Abdullah.
The Brunei National Pavilion now features locally-bred frozen blue shrimp as well as blue shrimp crackers which can be accessed by the e-platform’s 350 million active users. The minister highlighted the platform’s ability to provide greater exposure of the country’s various high quality food products during his opening remarks.
Earlier this month, Aquaculture products from two Brunei fishery companies were granted the role as JD.com’s first overseas off coast fresh farm, which according to JD.com Senior Manager Zhao Yu, opens up a pathway for overseas direct purchasing in Brunei.
The Chinese e-platform also offers its partners the necessary infrastructure to succeed in the Chinese market, said one of its senior directors, Yishen Tang, noting that it is committed to bringing Brunei’s best products and brands to Chinese consumers.
Meanwhile, Eyan Ou, CEO of Brunei Industrial Investment Holdings Co, Limited, said that there are “remarkable synergies” to be accomplished from the collaboration of the various parties, mainly through leveraging on each partner’s strength and resources which includes brand reputation, market knowledge, research capabilities and distribution channels.
With fresh farms as well as cutting edge retail model and technology, the various parties involved are determined to ensure consumer demands are always met with the highest quality of Halal products from Brunei. According to Ou, this is a key component towards the success of the both countries’ marine seafood industry.
YB Dato Dr Hj Mohd Amin then urged for collaborations between companies from Brunei and China to continue and thrive, noting that the event was a result of the long standing relationship among the two.
The event also saw a launch of seafood products under a co-branding arrangement between Bruneihalalfoods managed by Ghanim International Cooperation Sdn Bhd and C FRESH, a sub-brand of Pure Fresh International Holdings Limited.
Both companies are keen on more potential joint efforts towards the development of bo marine seafood industries in both countries, especially through close collaborations with JD.com and other Chinese enterprises.
The event also included the signing of Strategic Cooperation Agreements between Pure Fresh International Holdings Limited; Pure Fresh (B) Sdn Bhd; and three other organisations namely; CCIC Traceability Technology Service Co. Ltd, Sinochem Capital Investment Management Limited, and Guangdong Shunde Rural Commercial Bank Company Limited, which aims to strengthen the implementation of the Brunei National Pavilion.