The Alliance — A Brand Front-Runner

Guided by the Hebei Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, and drawing on the Zespri model from New Zealand and Sunkist from the United States while working from China's own conditions, nine outstanding enterprises exporting to high-end markets such as the United States, Canada and Australia reached agreement after several rounds of discussion and took equity stakes to establish Hebei Choice Fruit Alliance Business Management Co., Ltd. — creating a brand new cooperation model, the Choice Fruit Alliance model.

The Choice Fruit Alliance model turns the traditional loose contractual alliance into one where an economic chain binds the member units closely together. Through operating the alliance as a real business it draws on the advantages of enterprise union, unifying quality standards, conformity assessment, brand management and marketing, and building a world-class high-end brand step by step. It is open to society as a whole and keeps taking in new members, achieving rolling growth and continuing to strengthen. Following the five development concepts of innovation, coordination, green growth, openness and sharing, it continues to extend the fresh pear production chain, create employment, build a strong brand and raise product quality, supplying safe and high-quality fresh pears to consumers worldwide.

International markets are the foundation on which export enterprises grow. Building on what it already has, the Alliance works actively with overseas industry bodies to open up new markets. At the same time it uses exports to lead domestic business, working closely with domestic e-commerce platforms and supermarkets. Following the principle of the same line, same standard and same quality, it uses high-end export market standards to lift the quality of products sold domestically, so that products for both markets reach the same quality level. Standing on both markets, it develops domestic and international business in step and meets the needs of consumers worldwide.

• Hebei is a major province for fresh pear growing and export, accounting for a quarter of total world fresh pear exports. The resource endowment of Hebei fresh pears is an enormous advantage for the development of export enterprises.
• The CPC Central Committee's policies for agriculture, rural areas and farmers, its advancement of supply-side structural reform, and strategies such as quality at a premium and better imports and exports provide policy support for the Alliance's development.
• The regulated, self-disciplined and open nature of the Choice Fruit Alliance model itself carries strong practical value for enterprises seeking to raise product quality, shape their brand and develop the industry soundly.

• Unified standards system: aligning with the highest international standards and establishing a domestic product standards system.
• Unified conformity assessment: setting an entry threshold for the alliance and admitting only enterprises able to meet the requirements.
• Unified brand management: alliance members implement a single brand strategy and use a single trademark.
• Unified marketing: alliance members implement a single marketing strategy with unified market planning and development.

• Build products consumers trust: adopt the highest international standards system and select quality products for consumers.
• Shape an internationally known brand: refine the international brand strategy and build an internationally known brand step by step.
• Lead industrial transformation and upgrading: optimise the enterprise cooperation model and lead transformation and upgrading through innovation.
• Raise farmer incomes: actively develop market demand, stabilise and maintain market prices and protect farmers' interests.
• Create employment: build a comprehensive, all-round industry chain that helps address employment in society.