The press conference for The Oriental Beauty Valley International Cosmetics Conference 2023 was held at the Press Conference Hall of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government on the afternoon of October 25. Attendees included Ruan Li, Vice Chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, Luo Zhisong, Chief Economist of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Zhao Yanjun, Deputy Administrator of the Shanghai Municipal Medical Products Administration, and Li Lei, Deputy Chief of the Fengxian District People's Government.

Li Lei emphasized during the event that the brand awareness and influence of the "Oriental Beauty Valley" have been consistently rising in recent years. With a brand value of 28.7 billion yuan, they are actively working towards creating the largest and most distinctive beauty and health industry cluster with independent intellectual property rights, not only in China but also in Asia. Among the 226 licensed cosmetics manufacturing companies now in Shanghai, over 37% or 84 of them are based in Fengxian. The sales of cosmetics from the district contribute to more than 40% of the city's total. As a result, the "Oriental Beauty Valley" has emerged as a key player in Shanghai and China's beauty and health industry, making its mark on the international stage. Recognized as one of the most prestigious and high-profile international events in the cosmetics industry, The Oriental Beauty Valley International Cosmetics Conference has achieved five successful editions. This event exemplifies the worldwide influence of the Oriental Beauty Valley in the cosmetics field, enhances the global competitiveness of the Chinese cosmetics industry, and makes a valuable contribution to the high-quality development of the global cosmetics industry.

The Oriental Beauty Valley International Cosmetics Conference 2023 will take place at the Nine Trees Future Art Center in Fengxian District, Shanghai from November 8 to 10, 2023, as approved by the Shanghai Municipal People's Government. The guest lineup for this conference will be of a higher caliber than previous years, featuring leaders from national ministries and commissions, the CPCP Shanghai Municipal Committee, Shanghai municipal government, as well as prominent attendees from renowned domestic and international cosmetics companies, bio-pharmaceutical companies and major consumer platforms.

At the conference's opening ceremony, there will be several significant announcements, including the unveiling of the "Oriental Beauty Valley Chinese Specialty Cosmetic Raw Material Base Alliance," the release of the latest Oriental Beauty Valley brand value, the initiation of the "Brand Going Global" program, the introduction of the cosmetics industry ESG initiative, and the publication of the 2023 Oriental Beauty Valley Blue Book. Moreover, a special ceremony will be held to welcome the exceptional cosmetics companies that have recently moved to the Oriental Beauty Valley this year. Esteemed speakers from the domestic and international cosmetics industry will present captivating keynote speeches on various subjects.

During the conference, the organizing committee will also prepare seven insightful sub-forums, including the "Exploring the Frontiers of Core Innovation" Forum on Chinese Cosmetic Ingredient Innovations and Applications, the "Innovation-driven Beauty with Regulatory Compliance" Policy and Regulations Forum, the "Media and Beauty Shaping the Future Together" Media Forum, the "Creating the Future of Beauty" Forum on the ESG Development Roadmap in the Cosmetics Industry, the "Research Insights and Future Endeavors" Collaborative Forum, the "Pioneering the Beauty Revolution" New Biotechnology Driven Cosmetic Industry Development Forum, and the "Connecting the Brand Chain through Precision" High-Quality Forum on Fashion and Beauty's Value Chain. Distinguished speakers and industry experts will discuss current hot topics, industry trends and the future prospects of high-quality development in the cosmetics industry

Responding to questions from reporters, Ruan Li stated that fashion consumer goods are one of the six key industries that Shanghai is focusing on for development during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period. They are an integral part of Shanghai's modern industrial system. Shanghai is dedicated to the ongoing advancement of high-quality development in its industries, guided by the Action Plan for High-quality Development of Shanghai’s Fashion Consumer Goods Industry (2022-2025). By harnessing the power of the "Fashion Galaxy," the city aims to build park economies that possess greater strengths, specialties and competitiveness, thereby driving the high-quality development of Shanghai's fashion consumer goods industry. Emphasis will be placed on allocating premium resources and reinforcing and upgrading weak links in the industrial chain. In addition, while efforts will be made to ramp up innovation, including the exploration of novel applications in synthetic biology, collaborative endeavors among industry associations, leading companies in the industrial chain and research institutions will be encouraged to establish manufacturing innovation centers, facilitating the convergence of innovative production factors and cooperative research on core technologies in key fields. The implementation of the three-pronged strategy will remain a priority by propelling the internationalization of China-chic products, "brand cultivation," design innovation, "product diversification," digital enhancements and "quality improvement," all serving to lead the industry's transformation and upgrade through the lens of new trends in fashion consumption.

When asked by reporters, Luo Zhisong mentioned that from January to September 2023, the retail sales of cosmetics enterprises above designated size in the city reached 89.2 billion yuan, an increase of 15.9% year on year. This accounted for approximately one tenth of the total retail sales of consumer goods in the city. Wholesale sales amounted to 192.5 billion yuan, with a YoY growth of 9.1%. The hosting of The Oriental Beauty Valley International Cosmetics Conference 2023 is part of ongoing efforts to establish Shanghai as the "Capital of the Chinese Cosmetics Industry." These endeavors aim to promote the high-quality development of the cosmetics industry and play a crucial role in accelerating Shanghai's transformation into an international consumer hub that leads in fashion and sets trends. Moving forward, Shanghai will concentrate its efforts on building itself as an international consumer hub at an accelerating pace. Special focus will be directed towards supporting the growth and strengthening of the global new product debut demonstration area (cosmetics) platform in Fengxian District. Support will be provided to foster innovation in the consumer market and facilitate the launch of a greater number of brand-new products. The collaborative development of the four major brands will be further emphasized to drive their deeper integration. Harnessing the spillover effect of the China International Import Expo (CIIE), efforts will be made to gather more and optimize cosmetics brands, actively promoting the high-quality development of the cosmetics industry.

Regarding the recent developments in the "Innovation-driven Beauty with Regulatory Compliance" Policy and Regulations Forum, Zhao Yanjun stated that a number of regulatory documents have been released and implemented this year. These regulations provide robust legal support to ensure the safety of cosmetic products for the general public and encourage high-quality industry development. Centered around the theme of fueling the high-quality development of the cosmetics industry. this year's forum will primarily focus on the implementation of the principal responsibility of cosmetic companies in ensuring product quality and safety, addressing important industry-related topics. It will be attended by experts and leaders from the National Medical Products Administration, provincial medical products administrations in the Yangtze River Delta region and local drug regulatory departments. They will deliver keynote speeches, aiming to establish the forum as a significant platform for government-industry exchange, mutual promotion and development acceleration.

Addressing questions from reporters, Li Lei highlighted the growing application of biotechnology in the cosmetics industry during the ongoing process of transformation and upgrade in the beauty sector. Building on the strengths and foundation of the biopharmaceutical industry cluster, the Oriental Beauty Valley is working hard to advance the convergence of biopharmaceuticals, cosmetics and green food. With the continuous iteration and upgrade of the beauty industry that are being empowered by biotechnology, remarkable progress has been achieved in recent years. This has led to the introduction of a diverse range of new products. Not long ago, the "Oriental Beauty Valley" was included in the Action Plan of Shanghai for Accelerating Synthetic Biology Innovation Incubation and Establishing a High-end Bio-Manufacturing Industrial Cluster (2023-2025). This provides policy support for Fengxian to further explore the utilization of synthetic biology technology in the development and production of cosmetic ingredients. Building upon this, Fengxian will seize the opportunity to further support the convergence of biotechnology and the cosmetics industry, making efforts to contribute the "Fengxian approach" towards further enhancing the core competitiveness of the local cosmetics industry.