China:STMA Holds Meeting on Development of International Markets

Source from:  TobaccoChina Online 05/30/2011

The State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA) - the regulator of China's tobacco industry - held a meeting in Beijing on May 12-13 on the development of international markets, in which STMA Director-General Jiang Chengkang urged further strengthening of efforts to develop international markets and STMA Deputy Director-General Li Keming delivered a work report.

The meeting was mainly intended to earnestly sum up general results of the work of developing international markets in the 2006-2010 five-year period; study and analyze the situation and tasks faced by China's tobacco industry in future development of international markets; define the targets, tasks, key points and major measures for the development of international markets in a future period of time; further unify understanding; form resultant forces; execute the system of responsibility; accelerate the pace in fulfilling the development strategy of "going on international markets"; and strive to realize new breakthrough in the development of international markets. In a keynote address to the meeting, Jiang pointed out that in ongoing efforts for international markets development, priority should be given to investment in establishing ventures overseas, enhancing the substantive overseas operation capacity, and making new progress in accumulating experience, human resources development, laying a solid foundation for further development, making breakthrough, etc, in order to better pave the way for China's tobacco industry to realize a shift from domestic market expansion onto international market development. Firstly, efforts should be made to make new achievements in accumulating successful experience, and actively explore ways of how to bring China's State tobacco monopoly system into line with the rules of international markets. Secondly, steps should be taken to make new progress in human resources development, in order to develop a team of highly qualified human resources required for the development of international markets. And thirdly, new progress should be made in market expansion while new breakthrough should be achieved in competitive bands development, market development, establishment of sales channels, investment in the establishment of joint ventures overseas, and substantive overseas operation of leaf tobacco import and export of tobacco machinery. The STMA director-general emphasized the necessary to develop multiform cooperation, saying that it is essential to strengthen cooperation among manufacturing enterprises, deepen cooperation with transnational tobacco giants, actively explore ways of developing cooperation with dealers and agents, and work out policy measures advantageous to the development of international markets. On the sidelines of the meeting, six enterprises - Hubei Provincial China Tobacco Industry Corporation, Hongta Tobacco Group, Tian Ze Tobacco Co., Ltd. in Zimbabwe, China Tobacco Philip Morris International Co., Ltd., Viniton Tobacco Co., Ltd. in Cambodia and Jilin Tobacco Industry Co., Ltd. - conducted exchange of successful experience in the development of international markets. At the meeting, a number of model institutions successful in the development of international markets in 2010 were honored and awarded. Enditem