(Yicai) Oct. 22 -- The 19th Europe-China Business and Technology Cooperation Fair opened in Chengdu today, bringing together European and Chinese businesses and local governments to forge closer economic ties.

Delegations from more than 20 European countries and regions are attending the event, according to the China Chamber of International Commerce. The fair aims to deepen cooperation between smaller cities and businesses by connecting industries with complementary strengths.

Among those seeking new partnerships is Loja, a small town in southern Spain. Led by Mayor Joaquín Ordóñez Gámez, its delegation brings together producers of extra virgin olive oil and cured ham alongside businesses in cold-chain logistics, bulk commodities and aviation technical services.

The Loja delegation signed a letter of intent to establish friendly cooperative ties with Pengzhou, a county-level city in Sichuan province, on its first day in Chengdu, laying the groundwork for cooperation between their complementary industries.

Located in Spain's Andalusia region, Loja has a population of about 20,000. Its main industries include extra virgin olive oil and cured ham production, and the town is also home to the indigenous Lojeña sheep breed.

The two cities also share an interest in caviar production. Loja has what is described as the world's first technology for extracting and processing organic caviar without surgically opening the fish, while Pengzhou accounts for about 14 percent of global caviar output, Yicai learned.

“Many small European cities have substantial demand for cooperation that has yet to be fully recognized," Duan Lian, Chinese secretary-general of the Sino-European Industrial Innovation Promotion Association and an advisor on Chinese affairs to Loja, told Yicai. "Targeted partnerships between the specialized industries of smaller cities on both sides could unlock enormous potential for practical cooperation.”

Untapped Potential in China's Consumer Market

Liam Jia, team lead of the EU SME Center, said European companies across most industries still have considerable untapped opportunities in the Chinese market.

“A typical real-world example: China ranks as the world’s largest honey producer, yet many small European SMEs successfully sell high-end specialty honey into the Chinese market," Jia said, adding that affluent Chinese consumers are willing to pay more for distinctive flavors and superior quality.

Chinese consumers are still becoming familiar with premium Spanish cured ham, according to Verónica Manchón Moreno, marketing director at Spanish ham producer Lizana, which is preparing to enter the Chinese market.

Moreno said the company plans to win over Chinese buyers by highlighting its production standards and animal welfare practices, explaining what sets its products apart and justifies their prices.

Beyond selling olive oil and cured ham to China, Loja is seeking partnerships with Chinese companies in solar power, energy storage and smart agriculture, Mayor Ordóñez said.

The town is also exploring partnerships with Chinese investors in tourism to develop resort projects incorporating traditional Chinese medicine and wellness services, he added.

China-EU cooperation should not be confined to large corporations and major cities, but should also extend to thousands of smaller Spanish towns such as Loja and their counterparts across China, the mayor concluded.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Emmi Laine