The Chinese city of Maoming has long been renowned for lychee cultivation and is considered the country’s largest production center for this crop. As a result, local incomes have increased significantly, and the region’s agricultural potential has strengthened.

The total area of agricultural land here amounts to 1.4 million mu, accounting for one quarter of China’s total lychee production. Mu is a traditional Chinese unit of land measurement. One mu is approximately 667 square meters, accordingly, 1.4 million mu equals about 934 hectares. Such a vast area offers broad opportunities to cultivate lychee and other specialized local crops with high yields.

The President of the People’s Republic of China and General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Xi Jinping, places special emphasis on developing local specialized products and efficiently using local resources within the framework of the rural revitalization program. He explains this concept through three characters: “Tu” (local) – local characteristics enhance the competitiveness of products, “Te” (specialized) – uniqueness and distinctiveness strengthen competitive advantages, and “Chan” (products/industries) – expanding the production chain and adding value contribute to the formation of an efficient industry.

In various regions of China, the cultivation of local specialized products has already been transformed into full-fledged industries. For example, in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, traditional “thin rice noodles” have evolved into an industrial brand with strong national appeal, while pomelo is successfully cultivated in Yangjiang. In northern Shaanxi province, vast elevated plains with loess soil, owing to favorable natural conditions and abundant sunlight, are well suited to horticulture, enabling the cultivation of juicy, flavorful apples.

As Xi Jinping emphasizes, the use of local specialized products contributes not only to economic growth, but also to the development of cultural and tourism potential. Each region can identify its own development model and, based on local products, develop an effective mechanism to comprehensively revitalize rural areas.

China’s experience is also an essential example for Uzbekistan. Today, friendly relations between the two countries continue to strengthen, with experience-sharing in rural revitalization and the production of local specialized products. This expands opportunities to effectively leverage Uzbekistan’s local resources and economic potential, while creating conditions for income growth through the development of production chains.

Nilufar Bozorova, UzA