Hello Leaders and Friends, greetings from Vevey, Switzerland!
尊敬的领导和朋友们，我在瑞士沃韦向大家问好！
I am Mark Schneider, CEO of Nestlé. It’s my great pleasure to return to China and join the China Development Forum again. I am honored to have the opportunity to share my views and our experiences through CDF Voice.
As the world’s largest food and beverage company, Nestlé has more than 2,000 brands in 186 countries worldwide. Zone Greater China is one of the five zones in the Nestlé Group. It’s one of the fastest-moving food and beverage markets in the world. 2022 was an extremely challenging year for the global economic environment. However, we remain confident in our brands, strong execution, and category dynamics for future growth.
In this turbulent environment, we are committed to keeping our products affordable and accessible. We also continue to act to make a positive contribution to society – for example, since 2020, we’ve donated over 300 million yuan of products in China.
2023 is an important year for us in China. It marks the 36th anniversary of Nestlé’s entry into the Chinese market. As one of the first multinational companies entering China since the 1980s, Nestlé has continued to engage and invest in the country. We are committed for the long-term. We aim to contribute to a robust Chinese economy while the country sets sights on a higher-level open market. In the past three years, we’ve invested an additional 1.4 billion yuan in China.
The 20th CPC National Congress embarks on a new journey of Chinese-Style Modernization. In this context, we appreciate China's continued emphasis on creating a level playing field for all businesses, as well as a market open to the most advanced and innovative products.
We are deeply committed to playing our part in this journey through high quality development in China, especially through innovation and sustainability. We are pleased to have the opportunity to work with the China Development Research Foundation on topics like food-grade recycled plastics, regenerative agriculture, and more.
Ladies and gentlemen, as an old Chinese saying goes, “Nothing, not even mountains and oceans, can separate people with shared goals and vision.” It’s truly exciting that this year we are crossing the mountains and oceans to meet again at the China Development Forum.
I’d like to sincerely thank CDRF for successfully organizing the Forum. It is a unique platform that brings the public and private sectors together. My thanks also to all stakeholders in China for the consistent support to Nestlé over the past 36 years. We look forward to achieving even more together in the new era. I wish great success for the China Development Forum 2023! Thank you!