The Republic of Liberia Offshore Industrial Innovation and Exchange Center in China was inaugurated in the Hunan Pilot Free Trade Zone Changsha Area on March 17, 2021. It will facilitate Liberian-Chinese collaboration with Hunan in the fields of rice cultivation, grain and food safety, and energy resources. It will introduce Liberian products into the Hunan market while promoting Hunan products in Liberia.
In 2005, the Longping Hi-tech Co., Ltd. sent five experts to Liberia to promote hybrid rice technology. Over the past decade, other Longping Hi-tech experts went to Africa to share hybrid rice knowledge and technologies to local farmers. A number of African technicians were invited to Hunan for agricultural training. Liberian rice yields have increased notably. “Hunan Province has been very friendly to us. It is like having a second hometown. Hunan has advanced agricultural technologies while Liberia has quality agricultural products such as palm oil and cassavas. We expect more cooperation using this platform,” said the commercial counselor of the Embassy of the Republic of Liberia in China.
The center is a branch of the International Industrial Innovation and Exchange Center -- a key international industrial innovation and commercial platform in Furong District, Changsha. It was founded by the African Affairs Department of the Office of Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee, the Office of Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Changsha Municipal Committee, and the Furong District Government. Later, top 10 enterprises in African countries and a number of headquarters of transnational enterprises will settle here to facilitate the pilot free trade zone construction.
Chinese source: hunan.voc.com.cn
