Kweichow Moutai, a famous brand of strong Chinese liquor with a history dating back more than 2,000 years, has been officially recognized as a famous domestic brand by the Ministry of Commerce.

Moutai, which is distilled from fermented sorghum, is often called the national drink of China. The certificate awarded by Commerce Minister Bo Xilai on Tuesday officially recognizes Moutai's distinctiveness and long history.

The 430 firms that have been granted a certificate for their proprietary brand names include Quanjude roast duck, Tongrentang herbal medicine, Ruifuxiang silk and embroidery and Guanshengyuan pickles.

"These famous brands survived social turmoil and the chaos of war in the first half of the last century, weathered the economic reforms of the late 1970s and have stood up to increasingly fierce market competition. Their vitality is as impressive as their history," Bo said.

"Apart from directly employing 120,000 people, these famous brands have also generated 600,000 job opportunities in other sectors. They deserve to be singled out so that a better business environment can be created for them," Bo added.

He said the ministry was mulling over policies that would effectively protect the intellectual property rights of famous brands and help the companies with financing.

The ministry will support the companies in their efforts to preserve traditional techniques and culture, develop technical innovation and establish modern corporate governance.

The number of officially-recognized famous Chinese brands will rise to 1,000 over the next three years.

Source: Xinhua