geographical indication (GI) product
'geographical-indication product'
Definition#
In the People's Republic of China, a product from a specific area whose quality, reputation or other characteristics depend essentially on the natural and human factors of that area and which has been approved to carry the geographic name. Chinese Wikipedia quotes the 2005 rules: 产自特定地域，所具有的质量、声誉或其他特性本质上取决于该产地的自然因素和人文因素，经审核批准以地理名称进行命名的产品. Under those rules the approving body was the AQSIQ (国家质量监督检验检疫总局); recent recognitions are announced by the State Intellectual Property Office (CNIPA). Example: CNIPA announcement No. 616 (published 2025-02-11) gave 冰岛老寨茶（冰岛正山茶） only a preliminary recognition (初步认定) with a two-month objection period; the area named is the natural village of Bingdao in the Bingdao village committee, Mengku township, Shuangjiang county. No final decision had been found at the time of writing. National standards for single teas carry the words in their titles: GB/T 22111-2008 地理标志产品 普洱茶 and GB/T 18745-2006 地理标志产品 武夷岩茶 (titles as listed on chinesestandard.net). One Sohu article reports that a new GB/T 18745-2026 《地理标志产品质量要求 武夷岩茶》 was issued on 2026-03-31 and applies from 2027-04-01; this rests on that single article. A GI protects a name and an area plus a product specification; it is not a quality grade and does not protect a style made outside the named area. The EU-China agreement on geographical indications lists Chinese teas such as 安吉白茶 (written 'Anji Bai Chaa (Anji Weißer Tee)' in the Commission's German release) for protection in the EU; a Chinese GI product is not the same register as an EU PDO/PGI.
Translation and usage#
| Language | Use | Alternatives & cautions |
|---|---|---|
| English | geographical indication (GI) product Chinese product whose name is protected by origin-area approval translation |
Also acceptable
Avoid PDO / PGI (for a Chinese GI) EU schemes with their own register; EU-China GI agreement lists Chinese names for protection in the EU but the status is not interchangeable 'GI certified' as a quality statement GI is about origin and specification; it says nothing about grade or flavour |
| Deutsch | Erzeugnis mit geografischer Angabe chinesisches Erzeugnis mit geschütztem Herkunftsnamen translation |
Also acceptable
Avoid g. U. / g. g. A. (für ein chinesisches GI) the EU seals have their own register; a Chinese GI recognition is a different status |
| Русский | продукт с географическим указанием китайский продукт с защищённым названием места происхождения translation |
Also acceptable
|
| 简体字 | 地理标志产品 | |
| 繁體字 | 地理標誌產品 | Regional usage
|
| 日本語 | 地理標誌産品（中国の地理的表示） 中国で原産地を認証した産品 |
Also acceptable
Avoid 日本のGIマーク Japan's geographical indication scheme (Act on the Protection of the Names of Specified Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Products) is a separate system |
Common confusions#
- A GI protects the name and area; it does not grade quality and does not cover the same tea made elsewhere.
- China has more than one origin-protection route (general background, not verified in the sources consulted); this entry covers the 地理标志产品 route. A seller should state which scheme and name is meant.
- Check which edition of a national standard a seller cites: GB/T 18745-2006 is reported to be replaced by GB/T 18745-2026 (applies from 2027-04-01, single news source).
- A preliminary recognition (初步认定) is not a final grant; the 冰岛老寨茶 announcement of 2025-02-11 was preliminary.
- In EU markets, Chinese GI names in the EU-China agreement (for example 安吉白茶) are protected as names; that does not make them EU PDO/PGI products.