Ethiopia: Key Takeaways From China’s Malipo County Model for Ethiopia and Other Developing Nations

It is worth mentioning that Ethiopia and other developing nations can draw several important lessons from China’s Malipo County development approach in a broad range of sectors. If they join hands, they can catapult their respective nations to unprecedented heights and turn their dreams into reality.

There is no denying the fact that if developing nations put in place China’s Malipo’s Country model as it should be, without doubt, the lives of millions of people will be transformed at the earliest possible juncture.

What is expected of pertinent bodies is to follow the footsteps of the Malipo model in a way that can help them harvest success in the shortest possible time.

To begin with, Malipo is the shortest land-route from Yunnan Province to Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital. It is strategically located at the intersection of the China-ASEAN markets and at the intersection radiated and converged by the two major cities of Kunming and Hanoi. Furthermore, Malipo hosts a national first-class port-Tianbao port which is one of Yunnan’s earliest commercial ports and the province’s second-largest port for opening to Vietnam ,offering significant advantageous for developing border trade.

Malipo County is rich in natural resources, with the most abundant mineral resources in Wenshan Prefecture. Within the county, 38 solid minerals have been identified, with metallic mineral reserves totaling 6,078 million tones. Among these, tungsten ore reserves rank second in country. Additionally, the area hosts over 40 pegmatite veins containing beryl and emerald gemstones. The county is home to China’s first and only emerald deposit with development potential, earning it the moniker “China’s Emerald, World’s Imperial Green.”

Malipo also contains Wenshan’s largest hydropower station, with an annual river runoff volume of 1.7 billion cubic meters and total water resources amounting to 4.57 billion cubic meters. Hydropower development and utilization ranks first in Wenshan, with the largest hydropower station, Malutang Hydropower Station, having a total installed capacity of 400,000 kw.

Moreover, the county harbors the most biologically diverse green boarder green region in Wenhan, located at the core of one of China’s three major biodiversity centers. It is among the richest areas for biodiversity nationwide, with a humid climate and pronounced altitudinal climate variability.

Key industries include ancient tea trees, coffee plantations, and traditional herbal medicine production, particularly focusing on Dendrobium orchids. The region also boasts China’s oldest traditional villages such as Chengzhai Village, where the mysterious and unique original lifestyle is preserved.

The Bai Luo branch of the Yi ethnic group has passed down its Bronze Drum Dance for thousands of years which is listed as a national intangible cultural heritage preservation project.

By the year 2024, Malipo County achieved a regional GDP of 11.054 billion yuan, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 4%. The total output value of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fisheries reached 3.066 billion yuan, growing by 2.7% year on year.

Malipo County lies at the forefront of the powerhouse of China’s opening up toward south and Southeast Asia sharing boarders with Vietnam’s five counties and one city. The country boasts the longest boarder within Wenshan Prefecture, and within its jurisdiction, eight towns, 22 village communities, and 153 village groups directly boarder Vietnam. The county has a national boundary line of 272 kilometers, accounting for 20.5% of the China-Vietnam segment of Yunnan’s boarder and 63% of Wenshan Perfecture’s boarder.

Tea Plantation in Chaping Mountain, Mengdong Town

Located in Kuatu Village Group, under the jurisdiction of Bazi Village, Mengdong Town, at an altitude of 1,100 to 1,400 meters, is the largest and most contiguous ancient tea garden within Malipo County.

Covering an area of over 2,000 mu ( approximately 133 hectares) the tea garden is home to over 6000 ancient tea trees aged more than a century. Among them, 3/4 of the trees have a trunk diameter exceeding 40 centimeters, showing their majestic historical presence as old growth arbor trees.

Since ancient times, the ancient tea trees of this ecologically rich tea garden on Chaping Mountain have long been rooted and thriving. Thanks to the perennial mist, abundant mountain springs flowing through and a unique ecological environment, these conditions have given rise to a tea product with a distinct “fragrant, sweet and mellow” taste.

In the past, this tea held great importance as a necessity for barter trade, particularly for essential items like salt. It was distributed through Ha Giang Province in Vietnam and some important ports. The Yao people have developed a unique culture and customs centered around tea. During the transition of the New Year, tea soup serves as the principal offering to ancestors and nature. Moreover, it is an indispensable beverage used to host distinguished guests embodying the vivid and enduring traditions of this community.

Ping’anpo Village

Ping’anpo Village, under the administration of Tianbao Village Committee in Tianbao town, Malipo County, is located 27 kilometers from the county seat and less than 2 kilometers in a straight line from the China-Vietnam border. The village is home to three ethnic groups: Han, Zhuang and Yao with a total population of 63 households and 229 people. In 2013, with the care, assistance and active promotion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Singapore Red Cross donated 1.1299 million yuan, the local government integrated 6.8501 million yuan and the villagers raised and contributed 5.5 million yuan through labor.

A total of 13.48 million yuan was invested in the infrastructure construction of Ping’anpo Village. Leveraging its excellent ecological environment and abundant water resources, the village pursued a development strategy characterized by ” forest, grain, and grass on the mountains; tourism, entertainment, and services in the village.”

This included building a rural leisure tourism and ecological tourism demonstration village. By integrating resources and funds, the village actively promoted the development of modern agricultural industries represented by green food such as forest fruit planting, livestock farming, rice field fish farming, vegetable cultivation, and tourism services.

Additionally, the village focused on expanding the ” One County, One Industry” konjac sector cultivating 400+ acres of konjac,100+ acres of rice field fish farming raising over 150 pigs and breeding more than 2000 chickens and ducks. As a result the annual per capita disposable income increased from 6,510 yuan in 2014 to 16,800 yuan in 2023.

Ping’anpo village has progressively achieved its goals of “Becoming prosperous in life, cheerful in spirit, better in ecology, and more beautiful in appearance.”

From 2018 to 2022, the Hong Kong Ran Shan Poverity Relief foundation invested 1.5 million yuan to support the Pengcheng Aquatic Products Farming Professional Cooperative located in Ping’anpo Village. This initiative helped villagers develop industries such as rice field fish farming, pig farming, and chicken and duck farming.

In 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinated with the United Nations Global Compact to donate mobile ecological toilets worth 700,000 yuan to Ping’anpo Village.

Also in 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of Press, Communication and Public Diplomacy, Department of Translation and Interpretation donated 74,000 yuan, while the Foreign Aid Office raised an additional 30,000 yuan to support the construction of a Children’s Home project. These funds were used to renovate the interior of the children’s home in Ping’anpo Village and to provide necessary supplies.