The increasing sales of middle- and high-end alcoholic products in China reflects that alcohol companies have increased the quality of their products and the influence of their brands, said an official from the China Alcoholic Drinks Association (CADA) at a promotional event of Hengshui Laobaigan Liquor. The event was held on Oct. 28 on a cruise ship off the coast of Tianjin in north China. 

Xie Yougang, deputy secretary general of the CADA, added that China's alcohol industry has started its journey towards high-quality development. 

According to China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Nov. 1, China's alcohol enterprises above a designated size saw a total revenue of 548.72 billion yuan ($78.05 billion) in the first eight months of this year. This figure was up 8.1% compared with the same period last year. 

During the January-August period, the profit of 2,122 alcohol makers with an annual revenue of over 20 million yuan grew 18.7% year on year to reach 104.52 billion yuan, the ministry said. 

Chinese liquor-making enterprises above a designated size saw their output reach 5.08 million kiloliters in the first eight months of this year, up 1.3% year on year while beer manufacturers had an output of around 28.02 million kiloliters, up 0.4% year on year. 

According to Zhao Xudong, general manager of Hengshui Laobaigan Liquor Marketing Limited, the outbound quantity of its 1915 Hengshui Laobaigan liquor as well as its 20-year and 15-year Shiba Jiufang liquor increased 49.56% during this year's Mid-Autumn Festival holiday compared with the same period last year. 

Hengshui Laobaigan Liquor boasts a time-honored history and aims high in its brand positioning, Zhao said. 

As China's first state-owned liquor company, the company claimed the 18th China Quality Award. This national award is the highest honor that recognizes quality in a product or brand. 

Despite its achievements, the company's chairman Liu Yanlong gave credit to the support of the government, distributors and customers in his brief speech at the event. 

Zhao also echoed Liu in his speech, stressing that the company values its distributors and customers. He added that along the way, the company has developed diverse products, made vigorous efforts in expanding its market share, and has been practicing its core values of integrity, food safety and entrepreneurship.