BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua) -- A coffee industry promotion event held during the 4th China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE) attested again to how a Chinese county endeavored to leverage opening-up to foster new growth drivers.
Located in Hunan Province in central China, Changsha County, part of the provincial capital Changsha City, blueprinted a coffee industrial chain park to fill in the vacuum of premium African coffee beans-based coffee industrial chain in China.
Via businesses inviting and professional operation, Changsha County expects the annual output value of the park, which sits in the Airport Sub-area of Changsha Area in China (Hunan) Pilot Free Trade Zone, to exceed one billion yuan and countywide coffee bean import to surpass two billion yuan by 2027.
On June 13, the county embraced a batch of seven quality investment projects for the emerging local coffee industry and businesses from Hunan Province attending the event concluded related contracts.
These projects, which include industrial complexes, corporate headquarters and online platforms, cover African coffee bean-related production and processing, storage and logistics, trade, and product R&D.
Hence, the Chinese county took a solid step forward in shaping an inland hub for opening-driven development to cultivate new growth engines and deepen China-Africa economic and trade cooperation.
Currently, Changsha County's coffee industry is starting to unlock its own potential and fascination due to convenient transport, vigorous consumer market and pleasant business environment, said Chen Yonggao, head of Changsha County during the event.
In the future, Chen expressed his hopes for related businesses to be long-term partners, pacesetters and co-builders of the county's coffee industry to reap benefits earlier, make breakthroughs in sub-sectors, and establish a vibrant coffee industry ecosystem to bring local coffee to a broader market.
Year to date, the county has incorporated its coffee industry planning into local 2026-2030 development plan to delve deeper into the African market.
Accordingly, Changsha County will focus on the coffee industrial chain park's production and processing, storage and logistics, sci-tech innovation service, cultural experience and transaction service to further tap into the growing China-Africa economic and trade cooperation.
From January to April of this year, Changsha County saw local trade with African countries rise 108 percent year on year to 4.104 billion yuan. (Edited by Duan Jing with Xinhua Silk Road, duanjing@xinhua.org)
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