A total of 12 distinctive Guangxi products have gained geographical indications (GIs) protection from the European Union, after the bilateral agreement on GIs between China and the EU took effect on March 1.

The Guangxi products included Baise mango, Guilin luohanguo, Liubao tea, Qintang Maojian tea, Beihai oysters and Rong'an kumquat.

The GI is used to show that a product has a specific geographical origin, and that it possesses either qualities or a certain reputation due to that origin. 

It is expected that these products will soon be officially marked in the EU so that their reputation on the EU market will be further increased, allowing the products to explore more development opportunities. 

The China-EU agreement on protecting GIs will also create opportunities for more high-quality agricultural products from Guangxi to be exported to the EU. 

An official from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional Administration for Market Regulation said that Guangxi has attached great importance to the cultivation, application and protection of GIs since the 13th Five Year Plan period (2016-20), and the number of valid GIs for Guangxi brands had increased to 72 by 2020 from 30 at the end of the 12th Five Year Plan period (2011-15). The number of products under GIs protection had reached 92 by 2020, and covers 332 companies.

It is said that the GIs protection has played an important role in areas such as increasing local farmers' income, boosting poverty alleviation and raising the quality of the regional economy.