China has officially accepted the application of the geographical indication of Bordeaux. The recognition was publicized in AQSIQ’s Notice No. 30, 2014 on 25 Mar 2014.
The application, submitted by the Bordeaux Wine Council under the joint recommendation of several French government departments, was accepted by AQSIQ subject to “Geographical Indication Product Protection Regulation” in China. The scope of protection covers wine and brewing regions of Bordeaux as outlined in “Decree No. 2013-1079 related to the Appellation of Controlled Origin Bordeaux” (Décret n° 2013-1079 du 28 novembre 2013 modifiant le décret n° 2011-1739 du 2 décembre 2011 relatif à l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Bordeaux » ) promulgated by French authorities. Similarly, Champagne and Napa Valley were also listed into China’s geographical indication system last year.
In the past fake Chinese produced wines labeled “Bordeaux” have been circulated in the market primarily due to the lack of GI protection of the term “Bordeaux” in China. With the introduction of this newly listed geographical indication, there is no question that the reputation and credibility of Bordeaux wines will be far better in the eyes of Chinese consumers.
Unlike France where there is a complex and well-established array of wine regulations and laws, the Chinese industry is still in development. As a form of intellectual property, provisions related to geographical indication did not make a debut in China until their appearance in the revised Trademark Law in 2001, the definition of which is basically in line with that clarified in WTO’s TRIPS Agreement. In 2005, the specialized regulation, namely “Geographical Indication Product Protection Regulation”, was enacted by AQSIQ.