On the afternoon of September 23, Yin Li, Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, met with board members and executives of Nestlé Group from Switzerland.

Yin noted that food is a paramount necessity for the people, and food safety is the top priority. With rising living standards, food and beverage consumption is showing new characteristics, as urban consumers place greater emphasis on health, quality, and diversity. As a modern metropolis with nearly 22 million permanent population residents, Beijing demonstrates an enormous demand for food and beverages. Drawing on its abundant resources in education, science and technology, and talent, the city also enjoys distinct strengths in food research and innovation. Beijing is committed to building itself into an international consumption center, continuously improving the consumption ecosystem, and introducing a series of supportive policies and initiatives to stimulate consumption, all of which present tremendous development opportunities. Nestlé Group, as one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies, is encouraged to deepen cooperation with Beijing-based universities and research institutions, build up its R&D center in Beijing and food safety institute in China, and advance joint R&D for new breakthroughs in food nutrition, product safety, and regulatory technologies. Yin also encouraged Nestlé to follow China’s dietary habits and demographic trends and introduce more high-quality products that cater to local tastes and health needs. He expressed the hope that Nestlé will deepen exchanges and mutual learning with Beijing in areas such as quality inspection, standards and certification, and supply chain management, so as to jointly explore broader markets and further elevate the food and nutrition & health industries.

Paul Bulcke, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Nestlé S.A., along with other board members and executives, spoke at the meeting. They noted that China’s vast market serves as a powerful driver of Nestlé’s growth. They expressed Nestlé’s readiness to deepen exchanges and cooperation with Beijing in areas such as sci-tech innovation and food safety standards tojointly facilitate the high-quality development of the food industry, thus better meeting people’s growing aspirations for a higher-quality life.

Municipal leaders Zhao Lei and Tang Wenhong attended the meeting.