Journalists from six countries embark on a journey of exploration in Binzhou, Shandong province, to decode the secrets of local enterprises' development. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A group of international journalists recently spent two days in Binzhou, East China's Shandong province, visiting a coffee factory, a veterinary research institute, a carpet workshop and a jujube orchard. What they found was a city in the Yellow River Delta linking local industries to global markets while lifting rural incomes.

Journalists from the Bahamas, Grenada, Suriname, Jamaica, Guyana, as well as a Caribbean television network joined the tour event from Oct 15 to 16, running under the banner "Binzhou Enterprises, Innovating for the World".

Journalists enjoy some brews by Shandong Youran Coffee in Binzhou. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

At Shandong Youran Coffee, an intelligent instant-coffee production base, beans imported from Uganda, Vietnam, Ethiopia, and Colombia are processed into powder and cold brews. The first phase of this project began production in June, with annual capacity of about 10,000 metric tons of instant coffee powder and 2,000 tons of cold brew liquid – enough for 5 billion cups every year once fully operational.

The Shandong Binzhou Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science has built a global network, with research centers worldwide, a proof-of-concept center in Binzhou and industrial bases in countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. It has now carried out more than 40 international research projects with partners in over 20 countries.

The journalist group holds an interview with a representative from Yangxin Ruixin Group, a leading carpet maker in Binzhou, Shandong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Yangxin Ruixin Group combines intangible cultural heritage carpet weaving with machine tufting and new materials. The group's database holds over 100,000 patterns, and products sell in more than 60 countries and regions covering Europe, America, and Southeast Asia. The company has also set up 14 business incubators, creating over 10,000 jobs for local people.

Zhongyu Food runs a complete wheat supply chain and works with farmers through contract farming. In Zhanhua district, winter jujubes are expected to reach 400 million kilograms in output, gaining 8 billion yuan ($1.2 billion) in value this year. 

The district has managed to transform saline-alkali into farmland, achieving fruitful results. A Bahamian reporter said it was hard to imagine such sweet fruit growing on saline-alkali land, calling it a good example of agriculture with Chinese characteristics.