NAIROBI, Kenya, May 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 13, 2019 at 6:00 pm local time, a liquor tasting session as part of the Cultural Moutai - Colorful Guizhou Belt and Road (B&R) Journey event was held in Kenya's capital, Nairobi.
Raphael Tuju, secretary general of Kenya's governing Jubilee Party, praised and expressed his deep admiration for Kweichow Moutai Group, saying: "The promotional campaign in Nairobi is an important response to the Chinese government's B&R initiative." In addition to expressing his sincere welcome, Mr. Tuju added: "We believe that Moutai will create job and economic growth opportunities for local residents."
Mr. Tuju, accompanied by David Murathe, former Vice Secretary General of the Jubilee Party, Chris Kiptoo; Principal Secretary for the State Department of Trade in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Co-operatives, William Gatee; Chairman of the Kenya Coffee Producers' and Traders' Association; and Moses M. Ikiara, Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Investment Authority, as well as many of Kenya's politicians, business leaders, cultural icons and journalists, discussed prospects for cultural exchanges and other forms of cooperation between Moutai and the local government with members of the Moutai delegation.
This marks the second time that Moutai has held a large-scale brand marketing campaign in Africa, following a similar event held in Tanzania.
The Moutai delegation is a witness to an enhanced China-Kenya friendship
Kweichow Moutai Group deputy party secretary Wang Yan made five key points in his speech when summarising Kenya's national characteristics and economic positioning: one of the birthplaces of the human race, a heaven for wild animals, a country that appreciates the subtle flavour and fragrance of the world's best spirits, a cradle for cultivating international champions of middle and long-distance running, and a leader in economic and social development across eastern Africa.
In his opening remarks, as opposed to a conventional commercial speech, Mr Wang highlighted the long-term friendship between China and Kenya, noting: "Zheng He, an ancient Chinese navigator and explorer, visited the country when he travelled along the ancient maritime Silk Road route several times in the early 15th century; the Chinese people consider the giraffe (referred to as Qilin in Chinese), a gift from Kenya's king of Malindi, as one of the most popular mythical creatures in China. These historical tales have been passed down through the generations.
"Moi International Sports Centre, a landmark on the 20 Shilling banknote, has remained one of the largest and best sports stadiums across Africa and is regarded as a symbol of Sino-Kenyan friendship. Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, built by China, is reputed to be Kenya's biggest infrastructure project of the last hundred years, opening a fast trade route between China and Africa."
Mr Wang added that the coordinated development of Chinese and African business communities has benefited cities across both countries. Moutai firmly believes that the two countries will enhance their regional cooperation as a part of the new economic order.
He also shared the delegation's feelings during the trip with the attendees, saying: "We could easily feel the substantial goodwill among the Kenyan populace towards the Chinese as we conducted our market investigation this afternoon. In addition to "nihao" (hello) and "xiexie" (thank you), we see Kenyans' big smiles everywhere."
Mr Tuju clarified Kenya's willingness to support any investment Moutai makes in Kenya in a move to ensure win-win results. Kenya is grateful that Moutai has decided to donate part of its sales profits in Kenya to support wildlife protection projects.
Mr Murathe, describing himself a huge enthusiast of Moutai, expects Kenya to consolidate its partnership with Moutai as a strategy to enhance Sino-Kenyan friendship.
Mr Kiptoo characterised the progress in terms of bilateral trade between China and Kenya in his speech. Bilateral trade between the two countries grew by a factor of 2,600 over the last decade, making China the largest investor in Kenya.
Moutai is an active advocate of Chinese culture
Moutai actively promoted Chinese culture via its lineup of liquors under the B&R initiative during the past five years.
So far, Moutai's B&R Journey event has been held in 67 countries and regions across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania and South America, including 38 countries and regions along the B&R route.
Mr Wang noted: "Although we are a new market player in Africa, we expect to continue upping our investment in Africa as well as in collaborative deals with African stakeholders. Our first visit to South Africa in 2017 and this year's event in East Africa serve as a strong testament to that.
"Moutai's distilling process, starting with the input of raw materials to finishing with the production of a bottle of liquor, is extremely complex. Moutai produces the spirit via the application of 30 processes broken down into 165 steps, with each bottle taking five years to come to fruition." Hearing this explanation, the attendees could not but taste Moutai liquor in all its subtleties.
The Chinese stories from Moutai resonated with the attendees. In his speech, Mr Wang also talked about the birthplace of Moutai, Guizhou, a province boasting China's best-of-class tea leaves and world-renowned touristic destinations, in addition to its liquor. Along with its fast-growing big data sector, Guizhou is becoming a preferred choice among both tourists and investors.
Mr Wang, on behalf of Moutai, said that the liquor maker is dedicated to contributing to cultural exchanges and to the win-win development of both countries. He invited Kenyans to visit the Moutai headquarters and enjoy the beautiful scenery and see where the spirits are actually made, in addition to taking the opportunity to discuss the possibilities of engaging in more collaborative efforts.
