On October 16, the World Association of Chefs Societies’ Asia Presidents Forum 2025, co-hosted by the World Association of Chefs’ Societies (Worldchefs) and the China Cuisine Association, was held in Suzhou. This meeting, held in China for the first time, was an important milestone.
Wu Qingwen, Deputy Secretary of the Suzhou Municipal Party Committee and Mayor, Yang Liu, President of the China Cuisine Association, and Willment Leong, President of the Worldchefs Asia Continental Director, attended the meeting and delivered speeches. Xu Meijian, Chairman of the Suzhou Jiangnan Food Culture Foundation and former Deputy Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Suzhou Municipal People’s Congress Standing Committee, Xu Ben, Secretary-General of the Suzhou Municipal Government, and Zhang Fei, Deputy Director of the Suzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce, along with representatives from the catering industry of over 20 countries and regions in Asia, also attended the meeting.
As one of the important events held concurrently with the 34th China Chefs Festival, this conference is themed “Promoting Asian Catering Cooperation and Sustainable Development”, focusing on topics such as catering education, green development and cultural exchange, aiming to build a regional cooperation platform, build consensus and promote coordinated development.
Deepening cooperation consensus: China Cuisine Association and Worldchefs join hands to promote industry development
Founded in 1928, Worldchefs is an international non-profit organization affiliated with the United Nations International Labour Organization. It has official chef association members from more than 100 countries and regions. As an important cooperation platform in the international catering industry, Worldchefs continues to play an active role in the inheritance of culinary skills, the standardization of catering education, and sustainable development. As the only official member of Worldchefs in China, the China Cuisine Association has long represented the Chinese catering industry in international affairs and promoted the exchange of skills and cultural exchanges. This Asia President’s Forum 2025 was held in China for the first time, reflecting Worldchefs high attention to the development of China’s catering industry. It also marks that the role of China’s catering industry in regional cooperation is moving from “participant in cultural exchange” to “co-builder of industry standards,” providing a broader platform for the international dissemination and cooperation of Chinese cuisine.
Against this backdrop, new opportunities are emerging for Asian catering cooperation. Asia boasts a rich and diverse culinary culture. While each country’s catering industry possesses distinct development paths and industry structures, they also face common challenges in areas such as supply chain collaboration and green transformation. This conference, upholding an open and inclusive spirit, will serve as a platform for cooperation and exchange in the Asian catering industry, fostering resource sharing and mutual learning, and driving the region’s catering industry towards more sustainable and coordinated development.
Release of the “Suzhou Initiative of Asian Chefs’ Association”: Jointly build an open and shared Asian catering cooperation mechanism
In the important agenda of the meeting, the participating representatives had in-depth exchanges on sustainable development and industry responsibility, and formed an important outcome – the “Suzhou Initiative of the Asian Chefs Association”, calling on the Asian catering industry to work together to practice sustainable concepts, cherish the gifts of nature, advocate conservation, green and responsible consumption, and promote the formation of a healthy and rational food culture.
The launch of the initiative reflects the common concern of the Asian catering industry about food security, ecological protection and industry responsibility.
Declaration site
“——Worldchefs Asia Presidents Forum 2025
We, chefs, scholars and restaurant industry representatives from across Asia, have gathered in the historic city of Suzhou on this United Nations World Food Day to reflect on the mission and responsibility of cooking.
We advocate:
Hold on to the gifts of nature and make the best use of them.
Adopt local season to reduce road loss.
Cooking non-standard ingredients, turning clumsiness into skill.
Divide meals into fixed amounts to prevent waste at the table.
The initiative calls on all catering practitioners in Asia to respond to the gifts of nature with culinary civilization and reshape the harmonious relationship between people and food.”
Using “flavor” as a medium: Suzhou showcases a new image of Chinese culinary culture
As the host city, Suzhou, with its unique Jiangnan charm and profound culinary culture, added a unique cultural dimension to the exchange. Yang Xiaofeng, Secretary-General of the Suzhou Culinary Association, and several outstanding local chefs participated in the meeting, discussing innovative techniques and industry trends with their Asian counterparts, showcasing the inclusive and continuously innovative spirit of Suzhou’s culinary industry.
The conference also specially arranged a national intangible cultural heritage performance – Suzhou Pingtan. The graceful and soft voice added a Jiangnan charm to the event, and also allowed the guests to feel “Suzhou beyond the taste” in cultural resonance.
This conference not only deepened cooperation and exchange within the Asian culinary community, but also allowed the global culinary community to further appreciate the openness and cultural confidence of the Chinese culinary industry. Looking ahead, the China Cuisine Association will continue to work hand in hand with the World Association of Chefs’ Societies and their counterparts across Asia, contributing Chinese wisdom and strength to promoting sustainable development of the industry and fostering mutual learning among civilizations.
Relive the forum:
This article was originally published at mp.weixin.qq.com
