CIIE offers Cote d'Ivoire cocoa opportunity for industrial upgrading

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cote d'Ivoire, the world's largest cocoa producer and exporter, is leveraging the role of the ongoing China International Import Expo (CIIE) to advance the industrial upgrading of its cocoa industry.

Running from Tuesday to Sunday in Shanghai, the 7th CIIE has attracted participants from 152 countries, regions and international organizations, and achieved a new record with 297 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders attending.

Located in West Africa, Cote d'Ivoire produces over two million tons of cocoa beans annually, accounting for 40 percent of the world's total production. About eight million people in the country work in the cocoa and relevant industries.

Sekongo Lucien is the chairman of the Management Committee for an agricultural cooperative in Biankouma, a town in the western region of the country. The cooperative is participating in this year's CIIE, showcasing its cocoa, coffee and other agricultural products.

"I am going to take a flight to Shanghai, and I appreciate the opportunities provided by the CIIE to foreign enterprises. China is a very welcoming country, and the Chinese are very nice. I hope Chinese partners will come to beautiful Cote d'Ivoire in the future to build a win-win partnership," said Lucien before leaving for Shanghai.

In order to help farmers increase their profits from cocoa planting, Cote d'Ivoire is exploring ways to change the traditional economic model of exporting raw cocoa beans and achieve industrial upgrading.

"We are working with China in the PK24 industrial park to build the largest state-owned cocoa storage warehouse and processing plant in Cote d'Ivoire. We hope to increase cocoa processing capacity and the added value of the cocoa industry to achieve industrial transformation. This is the ambition of Cote d'Ivoire," said Kone Brahima Yves, the General Manager of the Cafe Cacao Council of the country.

In the PK24 industrial park on the outskirts of Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire's economic capital, a cocoa processing plant, jointly built by China and Cote d'Ivoire under the Belt and Road Initiative, is set to be completed by the end of this year.

The project will largely enhance the cocoa processing capacity of Cote d'Ivoire, and help the country train more skilled workers to promote the sustainable development of the cocoa industry, according to Tang Chong, the project manager of the Abidjan cocoa processing plant.

"Through this project, we expect to see an increase in domestic (Cote d'Ivoire) processing capacity of about 14 percent. By extending the industrial chain and setting up processing plants, the profits will be increased by 36 percent. The project will employ more than 500 workers after completion, which will be a strong force to improve the local cocoa production capacity," said Tang.

CIIE offers Cote d'Ivoire cocoa opportunity for industrial upgrading

A 93-year-old veteran of the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) remains committed to attending the annual on-site ceremony to welcome the return of the remains of CPV martyrs from the Republic of Korea (ROK), paying his full tribute to the heroes who sacrificed their lives during the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea in the early 1950s.

Since China and the ROK signed a handover agreement in 2014 for the repatriation of CPV soldiers' remains, Li Weibo, the CPV veteran, has shown up at the site of welcome ceremony for martyrs every year, dressed in uniform and wearing his medals, to honor the departed comrades with his deepest respect.

"The first time I saw the news on TV, I immediately put on and straightened my uniform, then went to the site of the ceremony. I saluted to honor my comrades there," said Li.

In 1950, at the age of 19, Li graduated early from university and enlisted in the CPV as an anti-aircraft artilleryman. During the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953), the artillery regiment Li served in was responsible for securing the corridor between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Over the course of the war, the regiment had shot down 15 enemy aircraft and damaged 17 others.

"At that time, we had very few anti-aircraft artillery soldiers, but we defeated a powerful enemy with outdated weapons. So the weak overcame the strong," said Li.

After the war, whenever he missed his fallen comrades, Li would visit the martyrs' cemetery to honor them and express his eternal remembrance.

Besides, over the past decade, he has attended the welcome ceremony every year to witness the return of his comrades' remains. He hopes that, even after their passing, they can see the growing strength and prosperity of their homeland in their own way.

"I saw our country using a large transport plane to bring back the martyrs' remains, escorted by two fighter jets. Now, our nation's aviation has grown stronger. I want them to come back and see how much our country has developed and prospered," said Li.

Despite being over 90 years old, Li said he will continue to be one of the welcoming group members to honor the return of the CPV martyrs, always standing straight and wearing his uniform with pride.

"I want to be there to welcome them every time they return in the rest of my life. I will prepare my uniform in advance, straighten it, and be ready to welcome when they come home," the CPV veteran said.

From 2014 to 2023, China and the ROK, in accordance with international laws and humanitarian principles, successfully completed 10 consecutive handovers involving the remains of 938 CPV martyrs in the ROK, along with related artifacts.

CPV veteran upholds tradition of welcoming comrades' remains home from ROK