Last year, when the organizers of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) unveiled the mascot of the expo, a giant panda looking dapper with a stylish scarf draped round its neck, people agreed that it was delectable. This year, when it made its appearance at a matchmaking event ahead of the Second CIIE, it was actually edible.  

A baking feat, the bread panda was part of the Bread of Jinbao collection, an assortment of breads also shaped like the CIIE logo and the four-leaf clover, which is the shape of the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai where the Second CIIE opened on November 5. The collection was the handiwork of three master bakers, the national team of China, who are competing with four other teams in the Louis Lesaffre Cup Asian qualifying round of the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie, the artisan bakery competition held annually in Paris, also known as the Bakery World Cup. 

"The qualifying rounds are generally held in professional bakery or food fairs, but this year, we chose the CIIE as it is a global platform," Yu Zhiqiong, Corporate Communication Manager of Lesaffre China, a French yeast and bread maker and one of the organizers of the bakery competition, told Beijing Review. "Through the CIIE we want to showcase to the world a high-caliber competition, masterly hand skills and craftsmanship, and China's bakery capabilities. The CIIE is more than just a platform for us to sell our products." 

"The contestants were confused at first when they were told the bakery competition would be held at an import expo," Yu added. "But it is the CIIE, and it creates possibilities." 

Lesaffre took part in the First CIIE, the first national-level import-themed trade fair, to gain industrial influence and seek business partners. They found the CIIE was also a platform for business-to-business companies to tap the business-to-consumer market. 

Copyedited by Sudeshna Sarkar  

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