A Chinese seafood restaurant chain that claims to be the exclusive seafood provider to this week’s G20 summit in Japan has opened two new restaurants in Wuhan.
Based in the central Chinese city of Changsha, Xu Jie Seafood has 35 outlets across China. Company founder and boss Xu Guo Hua was in Osaka this week to speak at a G20 meeting for executives to discuss the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Founded 20 years ago, Xu Jie concentrates on major cities in China’s interior regions – including Xi’an and Wuhan, which is home to a large technology services sector. Speaking in Japan, Xu Guo Hua called for a “scientifically sustainable” use of ocean resources. His company’s marketing slogans promise consumers a high “value-to-price ratio” as well as “fresher seafood” and “healthier, more delicious seafood for more people.”
The company claims – via press statements – to be the only official seafood supplier to the G20, despite the fact that numerous Japanese seafood companies operate in Osaka. The presence of Xu Jie suggests possible international ambitions for Chinese restaurant chains as they scale up at home.
The G20 summit will feature talks between the leaders of 19 of the world’s largest countries, as well as the European Union. On the sidelines of the summit, a meeting between the Chinese and U.S. presidents is scheduled in which the two leaders will discuss their countries’ ongoing trade war.
Also in attendance at the summit will be top officials from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), as well as the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
