Shaxian delicacies, originating in a rural county in Sanming of east China's Fujian Province, has evolved from a local street delicacy to a nationwide sensation with franchises spread across the country.
Known for simple, down-to-earth flavors, a wide range of choices and reasonable prices, Shaxian delicacies have captured the country's taste buds.
It now operates in nearly 100,000 locations -- more than fast-food giants McDonald's and KFC combined.
For many customers, Shaxian delicacies are seen as a convenient and affordable choice for a meal.
"The food quality is good, and the prices are reasonable, affordable for most people. Our snacks are made with real, high-quality ingredients. The flavors are relatively light, making them easy for the public to enjoy," said Wang Xiaozhong, a Shaxian delicacies restaurant owner.
The fast-growing Shaxian delicacies business also is also attracting more people to its standardized, large-scale training programs.
"Our goal is to cultivate well-rounded personnel in cooking, serving, brand promotion, operations management, quality improvement and new product development -- all to support high-quality industry growth through standardization. We have held 21 training sessions from last year to this year," said Su Wei, director of Shaxian District Snack Industry Service Center.
To date, Shaxian delicacies generates over 55 billion yuan (about 8.1 billion U.S. dollars) in annual revenue, employing over 300,000 people.
A report on gastronomic tourism released by the China Tourism Academy says that local delicacies have emerged as a crucial factor in helping more people understand the cultural character of different cities.
China’s Shaxian delicacies rise from rural street food to national brand
The United Nations (UN) acknowledged China's role in promoting the principles of the UN Charter as the country, serving as rotating president of the Security Council in May, convened a high-level meeting on Tuesday.
The meeting, themed "Upholding the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter and Strengthening the UN-centered International System," was presided over by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, said the debate provided member states an opportunity to reaffirm the Charter’s importance.
"We certainly appreciate the efforts by China to make sure that the importance of the UN Charter and its role in keeping the world safe is appreciated by all member states. And in particular, we're very happy that today's debate is going on right now, allowing member states to discuss ways to strengthen the implementation of the UN Charter," Haq said.
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said the meeting came at a critical moment, citing ongoing conflicts and violations of international law.
"In view of the conflicts that are raging around the world and in view of the ongoing violations of international law and UN Charter, it is very important to reaffirm our commitment to the UN Charter, to the international law and for peaceful settlement of disputes. I think this was the crux of the debate today, and this was the main message by Foreign Minister Wang Yi and also by my Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister [Mohammad Ishaq Dar], so it's a very important meeting that is taking place today," Ahmad said.
UN appreciates China’s role in safeguarding Charter for its proposal on themed Security Council debate
