【matka 143 786】Tea exchange nurtures blossoming China
Boxes of tea to be exported to African countries are carried by a robotic arm at Huangshan Jinyuming Food Co.,matka 143 786 Ltd. in Huangshan, east China's Anhui Province, Aug. 21, 2024. (Photo by Hu Fazheng/Xinhua)
HEFEI, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- During the rainy season in Kano State, Nigeria, the muggy and humid weather didn't dampen the enthusiasm of 54-year-old Saleh Haruna for work.
As an overseas warehouse manager of the Chinese company Huangshan Jinyuming Food Co., Ltd., he and four other local employees were busy packaging 180 tonnes of Chinese tea which would be sent to some African countries.
It's widely known that Chinese tea is popular in Africa, said Haruna, adding that China and Africa are closely connected through various trade and exchanges including tea exchange.
As one of the three major beverages in the world, tea originating from China is a daily necessity for many Africans to quench their thirst and cool off in hot and dry conditions. According to the Tea Industry Committee of the China Association for the Promotion of International Agricultural Cooperation, of China's top 10 tea-exporting countries and regions, seven are in Africa.
Located in Huangshan City, east China's Anhui Province, one of China's major tea cultivating areas, Jinyuming Food Co., Ltd. has exported tea to nearly 10 African countries including Ghana, Senegal and Morocco since 2008, with an annual export volume of 8,000 tonnes of green tea.
"Africa is our most important market. Currently, our company has seven automated production lines, producing nearly 40 tonnes of green tea every day. These teas will be transported to African countries by sea," said Ye Song, export business manager of Jinyuming.
The tea exchanges between China and Africa date back to centuries ago when the ancient Maritime Silk Road boosted the trade and exchanges between continents. Nowadays, more and more Chinese tea enterprises are tapping the African market and customizing products for different African countries.
At the exhibition hall of Huangshan Best Organic Tea Industrial Co., Ltd., nearly 50 kinds of tea products printed with French and Arabic descriptions filled the shelves. "We have developed diversified products according to the drinking habits and tastes of different African countries," said Cheng Haixia, who is in charge of the company's export business.
For example, locals in West African countries prefer to use small pots to brew tea, and we developed a 25-gram small box pack of tea suitable for single use, which is very popular, Cheng added.
During the past years, the company's tea export volume to African countries has grown from more than 10 million U.S. dollars in 2020 to an estimated 65 million this year, with an average annual growth rate of nearly 60 percent.
"Considering the uneven economic development of African countries, we plan to further expand the scale of our office in Mali and further lower the price of tea sold in Africa," Cheng said.
For Wu Weiwei, deputy general-manager of Huangshan Wangguangxi Songluo Tea Corp., Ltd., tea cooperation between China and Africa is more than a promising economic exchange, as it also provides an opportunity to strengthen cultural exchanges.
During the past years, Wu has participated in several tea exhibitions held in Morocco and Algeria. "When I talked with the Africans, they often shifted the topic from tea to local life, such as Chinese-assisted railway ports and commercial complexes when they learned that I'm from China," said Wu.
The cooperation between China and Africa has developed steadily in recent years. Data showed that China has remained Africa's largest trading partner for 15th consecutive year, with a trade volume of 282.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. By the end of 2023, the stock of Chinese direct investment in Africa had exceeded 40 billion U.S. dollars.
Sino-African cooperation has brought practical benefits to people of both sides and provided a platform for more African youth to pursue their dreams.
Idris Mahmoud, a 28-year-old student in Ghana has found his passion and dream in the tea exchanges.
"In my childhood, I used to watch Chinese movies, and one thing that inspired me a lot was seeing Chinese people having their tea in the movies. I love drinking Chinese tea," said Mahmoud, adding that he wishes to learn the Chinese tea culture and open a tea shop of his own.
Tea is like a bond. With frequent exchanges between China and Africa, the locals gradually accept the traditions of drinking tea and understand and love Chinese tea culture, he said. ■
Editor: Zhang Zhou下一篇:Parade of 51st National Costumes and Clothing Heritage Day held in Slovenia
相关文章:
- Second phase of polio vaccination campaign begins in southern Gaza: UN
- Verdent and picturesque countryside in SW China’s Guizhou
- Decades of excavation brings Han Dynasty back to life(1)
- 离职后辱骂用人单位被判侵权 劳动纠纷双方言论均应有边界
- In pics: scenery of Dead Sea
- “中国制造”走俏非洲
- 25 killed, 30 injured in paramilitary forces attack in Sudan's El Fasher
- China's int'l trade in goods, services up 2 pct in June
- Exhibition displaying farmer paintings kicks off in Liuzhou, S China
- Flamingos fly over Sel Kapani Dam Lake in Türkiye
相关推荐:
- China's commercial reusable test rocket completes vertical takeoff, landing flight test
- 快递寄丢毕业证只赔36元?法院这样判
- 大学生主播解约遭索赔30万元?法院判了!
- 坐军舰去上学是啥体验?网友:羡慕哭了
- Press conference held to highlight outcomes of 2024 FOCAC Summit
- U.S. colleges brace for possible return of war protests: USA Today
- 德国警方又逮捕一人 正在调查其是否与持刀袭击事件有关
- 泰国新任总理佩通坦说致力于推动泰中两国关系发展
- In pics: scenery of Dead Sea
- IPU President Tulia Ackson on 40 years of NPC's global impact
- 专家分析丨波兰若对俄导弹实施拦截将引发严重后果
- In pics: scenery of Dead Sea
- Dithubaruba cultural festival celebrated in Botswana
- Fish migrate to spawning grounds at Port Hope, Canada
- Serbia, France ink agreements to promote ties
- A股海南自贸区、保险板块周四走强
- El Salvador police chief dies among 9 killed in helicopter crash
- El Salvador police chief dies among 9 killed in helicopter crash
- Fish migrate to spawning grounds at Port Hope, Canada
- Nationwide reading atmosphere flourishes with arrival of World Book Day