23rd Kunming International Flower Expo draws over 500 global exhibitors

The 23rd Kunming International Flower Expo kicked off on Friday in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, attracting more than 500 enterprises from around the world.

The three-day exhibition features a display of four major industries: flowers, coffee, tropical plants, and small berries, offering visitors a glimpse into the charm of Yunnan's agriculture.

The expo brings together leading flower businesses from China and other major producing countries and regions, along with buyers from across the globe. This year, France is the guest of honor.

"This year is the first time we are exhibiting in Kunming. So, it's a milestone for Morel. Among the few varieties we are introducing this year, one is called 'Petit Moulin.' It means 'small mill.' And the specificity of it is that it can flower more than 100 days," said Laurent Mossan, business development director at Morel Flowers, a French company.

As China's "flower capital," Yunnan has become a major hub for both production and trade. In 2024 alone, the province produced more than 20 billion stems of fresh-cut flowers and exported them to over 50 countries and regions.

Local exhibitors are showcasing their latest innovations at the expo, highlighting the region's expanding role in global floriculture.

"As of today, we have registered 295 rose varieties in China, ranking first nationwide. In 2024, our breeding scale exceeded one million seeds, the largest in the world. But it may still take three, five, or even more years for our products to gain international application before we can truly become strong," said Li Shubin, a rose breeding specialist at the Yunnan Rose Breeding and Innovation Research Institute.

In recent years, Yunnan's favorable climate and investment environment have attracted a growing number of international industry leaders, creating a vibrant and blossoming floral industry.

"We invest to achieve double-digit growth year on year. Now we are building a new greenhouse to increase our plug production for anthuriums. And so far, we are very proud that together with growers, we can enter some of the national supermarket chains," said Mads Jensen, general manager for Anthura Kunming in China.

A diplomat expressed the hope that the expo will also serve as a window into wider global cooperation and exchange.

"Biodiversity, generally speaking, is one of the very strong topics today of Franco-Chinese collaboration, and where better to do biodiversity collaboration than in Yunnan? You have here about 5,000 species of wild flowers and plants. So, this is a perfect area to work in the fields of the protection of nature, protection of the environment, and the adaptation to climate change," said Guillaume Delvallee, consul general of France in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

23rd Kunming International Flower Expo draws over 500 global exhibitors

A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.

Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.

In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.

"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.

Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.

In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.

"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.

By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.

After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.

"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.

Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.

As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.

Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media