MFA development strides in Yunnan province

SEEPHEEPHE MAHAO

YUNNAN: The Chinese government through Ministry of Foreign Affairs made significant strides of development in the Yunnan Province in their continuing campaign to revitalize rural areas as per President Xi Jinping’s goal of finding a common ground for all Chinese people to get better services and live in harmony.

Yunnan Province is found in the south of China with a long history and one of the origins of human civilization sharing borders with Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos. It is one of the old southern Silk Road stretching through to southern Asia and west Asia.

This is a richly endowed land from its natural resources, agriculture, tourism and many others. The province has made great contribution to China’s fight against poverty by lifting all rural poor people out of poverty including impoverished villages and poverty stricken counties.

In 1992, Foreign Affairs Ministry began aid programs for Jinping County in Yunnan Province. Foreign Minister Wang Yi and 21 incumbent department leaders personally visited Jinping to address poverty alleviation and provide guidance.

The ministry raised over M700 million and implemented 987 projects in health, education and industries. Established development support model of 16 cooperatives and among others the production of timber, vegetable cultivation and eco-breeding helping residents to increase their income. Facilitated strategic partnerships which upgraded Jingshui River Port from a bilateral to an international port. All projects were headed by twenty representatives from the ministry serving as county party secretaries and deputy county mayors, aiding in development and implementation. Five served as leaders in villages, one as deputy director of an aid project office.

In 2021, The People’s Hospital of Jinping County established the Physical Examination Department and officially launched it in August, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held the international charity to raise funds to support the medical examination department in purchasing medical equipment such as electrocardiographs, color Doppler ultrasound systems, and health examination all-in-one machines. After the implementation of the project, the Examination Department has become today’s physical examination center helping patients pay attention to their health. 

In 2015 the Ma’andi Yizhuolan Ancient Tree Tea Production was established which now has a total output value of producing 7.6 tons of ancient tree tea and also selling ancient tree tea seedlings. The cooperative is made of Ma’andi community villagers.

The cooperative owns thousands of acres of natural ecological ancient tea gardens, with over 11,000 ancient tea trees. The cooperative continuously explores the development model of tea processing and selling which deeply promote the development of ancient tree tea industry.

Deputy Director General at the Yunnan Foreign Affairs Ministry Mr Chen Rongjie said Yunnan has made remarkable progress in poverty alleviation and rural revitalization, noting that the province was once burdened with the highest number of impoverished people.

He also mentioned that under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) central committee and through collective efforts from Yunnan people the province successfully lifted all 9.33 million rural residents out of poverty by the end of year 2020.

“Following the footsteps of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Foreign Affairs Office of Yunnan Province also sent a team to Jinping for more than 30 years, and now we still have 10 colleagues working in Jinping every year to promote rural revitalization together with the local government and communities”. He added.

Yunnan enjoys a sound momentum in economic and social development. Guided by the new development philosophy, the province continues its efforts in deepening supply-side structural reform to strengthen new drivers of development.

The province registered M7.5 trillion of GDP in 2022, a year on year growth of 4.3 percent. The local general public budget revenue totaled M507 billion, an increase of 2 percent from previous year and fixed asset investment increased by 7.5 percent.