Author: Nicole Kamanzi Muteteri

This journey offers meaningful parallels for Rwanda, where tea remains a vital contributor to both rural livelihoods and national export revenues.

Jason Choi, Director of Sunwah Group and President of its GBA and Southwest Region, described the early challenges in Malipo: “Each household made tea in its own way—sometimes in a barbarous way. Some would cut down the tea tree entirely, harming both the environment and sustainability.” To change this, Sunwah Group invested in a modern tea processing facility.

Since its October 2023 launch, the Malipo Sunwah Tea Factory has processed over 60 tons of tea leaves, created 28 products, and introduced 11 varieties of “International Friendship Tea.” It now collaborates with 15 cooperatives and supports over 8,000 direct and indirect jobs.

The factory’s goals are two-fold: improving local livelihoods and building a standardized, globally recognized tea industry. Malipo’s tea is now being positioned for both domestic and international markets, including Africa.

Rwanda’s own tea journey, though unique in context, shares striking similarities in ambition and reform. Rwanda’s tea production has steadily increased from 5,910 tons in 1980 to 40,003 tons by June 2024.

Smallholder farmers contribute about 65 percent of the green leaves used in production, while industrial blocs account for the rest. In 2023/2024 alone, Rwanda earned 114.8 million USD from 38,467.7 tons of tea exports, according to the Rwanda Development Board.

Notably, about 97.3 percent of Rwanda’s tea exports remain in raw form. However, the distribution of these exports offers insight into the evolving market dynamics.

Eighty percent of Rwanda’s tea exports are sold via auctions, where prices can fluctuate based on demand and quality. 17.3% are sold directly to buyers, enabling a more stable price and fostering long-term relationships with international tea importers.

A modest 2.7 percent is consumed locally, a figure that reflects the nation’s commitment to expanding its export markets.

Despite these figures, Rwanda is working to shift the focus toward value-added products and greater market diversification. For instance, initiatives to increase the processing of tea into ready-to-sell products, such as tea bags, are in progress to reduce dependence on raw exports and increase revenue per unit.

The government’s drive to plant 40 million new tea seedlings as part of a broader sustainability and industry transformation strategy further underlines Rwanda’s vision to build a globally competitive tea industry.

In Malipo, the transformation was accelerated by both private investment and proactive local governance. “Even at night, government officials would offer help—talking to villages and farmers the next day,” said Choi. Diana Yinan Dai, Chief Representative of Sunwah Tea in Beijing and Yunnan, highlighted the transition from informal, manual production to a more mechanized, skill-based industry.

“We teach the locals how to make the tea properly, and they get paid… Now tea has become an industry,” she said.

This modernization has had a tangible economic impact. By 2024, Malipo’s GDP hit 11.05 billion yuan, with agriculture and related sectors contributing 3.06 billion. The average rural income rose by 7.4 percent to 16,679 yuan. Chaping Mountain’s 133-hectare ancient tea garden now stands as a cultural and economic icon.

Rwanda has similarly invested in modernizing agriculture. Digital transformation, rural infrastructure, and strategic investor partnerships are enhancing productivity and export readiness.

Digital payment systems are being rolled out across the sector to improve efficiency and transparency. These changes are expected to yield long-term cost savings and reinvestment opportunities.

Rwanda’s tea industry has also gained international recognition. Rwanda Mountain Tea Ltd won first prize for BP1 (Kitabi) at the 2015 Gold Medal Tea Competition hosted by the Tea Associations of the USA and Canada, affirming the country’s quality credentials.

Drawing a compelling parallel, the experiences of Rwanda and Malipo underscore the potential for even geographically challenging regions to emerge as significant players in the global agricultural landscape. Both their journeys highlight the transformative power of innovation, strategic partnerships, and the modernization of agricultural value chains.

Celebrating Mass in the Sistine Chapel alongside the College of Cardinals, Pope Leo XIV opened with heartfelt words before switching to Italian and Latin, the traditional liturgical languages of the Vatican.

“I’ll begin with a word in English, and the rest is in Italian,” he said gently, pausing for a moment before continuing: “But I want to repeat the words from the Responsorial Psalm. I will sing a new song to the Lord because he has done marvels.”

With those words, [the new pontiff->https://en.igihe.com/news/article/catholic-church-gets-new-pope]—Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV—invited the Church to recognize the grace and wonders of God not only in his own election, but in the collective journey of the Church itself.

“And indeed, not just with me, but with all of us, my brother cardinals, as we celebrate this morning, I invite you to recognize the marvels that the Lord has done, the blessings that the Lord continues to pour out upon all of us.”

In his brief English introduction, Pope Leo XIV emphasized themes of gratitude, humility, and shared mission, calling on the cardinals to accompany him in service to the Church and the world.

“Through the ministry of Peter, you have called me to carry that cross and to be blessed with that mission. And I know I can rely on each and every one of you to walk with me as we continue, as a church, as a community of friends of Jesus, as believers, to announce the good news, to announce the gospel.”

“God has called me by your election to succeed the Prince of the Apostles, and has entrusted this treasure to me so that, with his help, I may be its faithful administrator…” he added.

The choice to begin in English—spoken in his native Chicago and around the globe—was not only personal but pastoral, offering a sign of accessibility to a global audience at a time when the Catholic Church is increasingly diverse and interconnected.

By invoking the image of the Church as a “community of friends of Jesus,” Pope Leo XIV set a tone of closeness, fraternity, and evangelization for his pontificate.

His words echoed across the chapel and beyond, offering a message of hope, unity, and spiritual renewal as he steps into the role of shepherd to more than a billion Catholics worldwide.

Xi made the remarks while holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his state visit to Russia. The two leaders exchanged in-depth views on China-Russia relations and major international and regional issues, reaching consensus on unwaveringly deepening strategic coordination and promoting the stable, healthy and high-level development of China-Russia relations.

The two leaders also called for promoting the correct historical perspective on World War II, maintaining the authority and status of the United Nations, and safeguarding international justice and fairness.

Following a grand welcoming ceremony for Xi, the two leaders held small-group and large-group talks successively.

In recent years, China-Russia ties have enjoyed stable, healthy and high-level development thanks to joint efforts from both sides, Xi said, hailing long-term good-neighborly friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation as distinct features of bilateral ties.

The political mutual trust between the two countries has grown ever deeper, the bond of practical cooperation ever stronger, while people-to-people exchanges and local interactions have flourished with increasing vitality, Xi said, noting that China-Russia relations have grown more confident, stable and resilient in the new era.

Xi said that history and reality have fully proved that continuing to develop and deepen China-Russia relations is integral to carrying forward the friendship between the two peoples from generation to generation, adding that it is an inevitable choice for both sides to achieve mutual success and promote their own development and revitalization.

It is also the call of the times for safeguarding international fairness and justice and promoting the reform of the global governance system, Xi said.

Noting that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victories of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Union’s Great Patriotic War and the World Anti-Fascist War, Xi said that 80 years ago, peoples of China and Russia made tremendous sacrifices and won great victories, making remarkable historic contributions to maintaining world peace and the cause of human progress.

China will work with Russia to take a clear stand to jointly promote the correct historical perspective on World War II, safeguard the authority and status of the United Nations, firmly defend the victory of World War II, resolutely defend the rights and interests of China, Russia and the vast number of developing countries, and promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, Xi said.

The two heads of state also received briefings from respective department leaders of the two countries regarding bilateral cooperation across various sectors.

Xi pointed out that China and Russia should stick to the general course of cooperation and fend off external disruptions, so as to solidify the foundation for stable cooperation and ensure stronger momentum for progress.

The two countries should tap into the resource endowments of both countries and complementary advantages of their industrial systems, and expand high-quality and mutually beneficial cooperation in such fields as economy, trade, energy, agriculture, aerospace and artificial intelligence, Xi said.

The two countries should take the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union as a platform to build a high-standard connectivity pattern, he said, adding that the two countries should fully unleash the potential of the China-Russia Years of Culture, strengthen cooperation in education, film, tourism, sports and local areas, and promote deep-rooted people-to-people connectivity.

The two countries should closely coordinate and cooperate on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, unite the Global South, uphold true multilateralism, and steer the right direction of global governance reform, Xi added.

Xi emphasized that China is comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization, and that China possesses both the resolve and confidence to overcome all risks and challenges.

No matter how the external environment changes, China will firmly handle its own affairs well, Xi said, adding that China stands ready to work with Russia to shoulder the special responsibilities bestowed by the times, safeguard the global multilateral trading system and keep the industrial and supply chains stable and unimpeded, and make greater contributions to promoting the development and rejuvenation of the two countries and upholding international fairness and justice.

For his part, Putin warmly welcomed Xi’s state visit to Russia and his attendance at the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Soviet Union’s Great Patriotic War. Putin noted the visit’s great significance, as it not only injected strong momentum into the development of Russia-China relations but also helped safeguard the outcomes of the victory of the World War II.

Putin said that the Russia-China relations are based on mutual equality and respect, not targeting any third party and not affected by any temporary incidents.

Unswervingly promoting the development of Russia-China relations and expanding mutually beneficial cooperation are Russia’s strategic choices, Putin said, adding that the Russian side firmly adheres to the one-China principle and has always supported China’s position on the Taiwan question.

Russia is ready to maintain close high-level exchanges with China, strengthen practical cooperation in such fields as trade, investment, energy, agriculture, science and technology, deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges in education, culture, youth, tourism and other areas, and expand the connotations of the Far East region cooperation.

Imposing high tariffs is senseless and illegal, and will only backfire, Putin said, adding that the two sides should enhance coordination and cooperation within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, support the process toward a multipolar world, jointly oppose unilateralism, reject the abuse of sanctions, resist bloc confrontation, and safeguard the common interests of the international community.

Noting that both Russia and China made great sacrifices in the World Anti-Fascist War, Putin said that under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people fought bravely and achieved a great victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, making significant contributions to the victory of World War II.

During the arduous years of war, Russia and China supported each other and forged a profound friendship, laying a solid foundation for the development of bilateral relations, Putin said, adding that both sides should safeguard the authority of the United Nations and international law, preserve the correct historical narrative on World War II, uphold international fairness and justice, and work together to create a brighter future for both countries and the world.

After the talks, the two heads of state jointly signed a joint statement on further deepening the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era. The two leaders jointly witnessed the exchange of over 20 bilateral cooperation documents, covering areas including global strategic stability, safeguarding the authority of international law, biosecurity, investment protection, digital economy, quarantine and film cooperation.

The two heads of state instructed the relevant departments of both countries to strengthen communication and coordination in accordance with the consensus reached by both sides, promote practical cooperation and achieve more concrete results.

The two heads of state also jointly met the press.

“We just hope that these talks will help the United States and China to move towards a more normalized relationship regarding their trade relations. As the secretary general made clear, there can be no winners in a trade war,” Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said at a daily briefing.

The UN chief “is particularly worried about the situation in terms of how a global war could affect developing countries. So any effort to avoid that would be welcome,” Haq added.

He Lifeng, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, will visit Switzerland from May 9 to 12. During his visit to Switzerland, He, as the Chinese lead person for China-U.S. economic and trade affairs, will have a meeting with the U.S. lead person Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced on Wednesday.