Xikang: Breaking the Deadlock of Domestic Consumption Competition, Hong Kong Opens a New Cross-Border Consumption Scene for Chinese Liquor Industry

On March 26, the 114th National Wine and Liquor Fair’s major main forum event—the 2026 China’s Alcohol Industry New Consumption and New Scenario Trend Release Forum—was held at the Chengdu Century City Exhibition Center. Several industry heavyweights engaged in a discussion around the question, “Where are the new consumption scenarios for China’s alcohol industry?”

In this roundtable discussion, Tielí, Executive Vice President of the Sichuan Alcohol Distribution Association, took part in and moderated the session. Mr. Zhou Chuan-kui, Chairman of Chengdu ChuanTang Supply Chain; Mr. Gu Lei, CEO of ZMabc; Ms. Xiqang, Chair of the China Spirits and Wine Committee of the Hong Kong Liquor Trade General Chamber of Commerce; Liu Dashu, Founder of Dashu’s Drink New World and Liquor Ji Store—were all on site to exchange ideas.

Tielí said that Hong Kong used to be the only bridge overseas connecting to the Mainland, and to this day it remains an important channel for us to connect with the 70 million Chinese overseas. How does Hong Kong’s liquor industry connect with corporate services? And how does it build the exchange and marketing platform between China’s liquor industry and the world, and between China’s liquor industry and Hong Kong?

Xiqang pointed out that Hong Kong is both China’s largest overseas export market for liquor and spirits and the core hub for Mainland companies going overseas, providing multidimensional empowerment for Mainland liquor enterprises to go global.

Hong Kong is one of the two major overseas markets for Feitian Maotai, as well as the world’s largest export market for Japanese sake and ume wine, and China’s core overseas shipment market for huangjiu. According to reports, in 2025, Gu Yue Longshan’s sales in Hong Kong exceeded RMB 20 million. It is said that Hong Kong has built the “China Mainland’s preferred platform for overseas expansion,” and more than 60% of Mainland overseas-expansion enterprises have Hong Kong as their first stop for going overseas.

Xiqang said that Hong Kong can provide three major core supports for Mainland liquor enterprises: first, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange imposes no additional restrictions on listing food and liquor enterprises, giving it advantages from a mature capital market; second, Hong Kong’s low-tax-rate environment can serve as a settlement center for liquor enterprises going overseas—Fenjiu has established a Hong Kong company in March this year to take on the role of an overseas-expansion hub; third, by leveraging Hong Kong’s global top-tier Chinese business associations, it can precisely connect with the ASEAN market to complete brand placement and channel expansion.

Cover News reporter Sun Peike