The China-EU Agreement on Geographical Indications officially entered into force on March 1, 2021. It is China's first bilateral comprehensive and high-level agreement on the protection of geographical indications (GIs), and an important and practical outcome in the development of China-EU economic and trade relations in recent years.

We will continue to introduce to you the first batch of 100 Chinese GIs and 100 European GIs under the Agreement, to better protect and market them to meet the needs of consumers on both sides for a better life.

GI Episode 15: Jinhua Two-end Black Pig

Jinhua Two-end Black Pig, a specialty of Jinhua in Zhejiang Province, is named because of its black skin and hair at the head and rump. This unique appearance has earned it a cute nickname: Chinese Panda Pig.

As early as over 1,600 years ago, the pig breeding industry in Jinhua area was quite developed. Located in the eastern part of the Jinhua-Quzhou basin, the mountainous terrain makes transport inconvenient, but provides a closed natural environment for the breeding of Jinhua Two-end Black Pig. As a result, the uniqueness of the pig breed is well inherited and preserved.

Jinhua’s beautiful natural environment is very suitable for animal husbandry, and the grain-fed Jinhua Two-end Black Pig has a longer growth cycle than that of ordinary pig breeds. It has thin skin, fine bone, tender meat and high fat content. Jinhua ham made from the hind leg meat is the best.

The Jinhua Two-end Black Pig’s meat has also been presented as a national gift to France, Japan, Thailand, Canada and other countries. In the EU-China GIs Agreement, the Jinhua Two-end Black Pig’s meat is the only pork selected from China.