千年古镇飘来非洲醇香——一杯非洲咖啡见证内陆开放新故事A millennium old town brings African fragrance - a cup of African coffee witnesses a new story of inland openness

坐落于嘉陵江畔的磁器口古镇，青石板路蜿蜒其间，古色古香的吊脚楼引得游客不时驻足。在千年古镇的烟火气里，27岁的埃塞俄比亚姑娘米赫雷特身穿家乡传统服饰，展示来自非洲大陆的特色陶壶煮咖啡。

“在充满历史感的古镇街区用咖啡实现文化交流，太美好了！”米赫雷特所在的这家埃塞俄比亚咖啡国家推广体验中心开业不久，已成为重庆人气打卡地之一，客流高峰期每两分钟就能卖出一杯咖啡。

明火手工烘豆，石臼细细研磨，陶壶文火煮制……新奇的煮咖啡手法，让许多游客忍不住上前体验。“这里既能喝到美味的咖啡，还能近距离感受埃塞俄比亚的文化。”市民刘永一边拍摄现场的咖啡器具陈列，一边感慨，“没想到在家门口就能体验一场‘非洲文化之旅’。”

作为咖啡的发源地，埃塞俄比亚拥有数千年的咖啡种植历史，独特的风土条件孕育出风味各异、品质卓越的咖啡豆，该国咖啡以清新果香、浓郁花香和醇厚的口感著称，在全球咖啡市场占据重要地位。而作为首批国际消费中心城市培育建设试点，重庆咖啡消费需求旺盛，近年来各类咖啡节、文创咖啡馆拔节生长，实现了和埃塞俄比亚咖啡的“双向奔赴”。

今年5月1日起，我国对53个非洲建交国全面实施零关税举措。此次政策加力扩围，让包括埃塞俄比亚咖啡在内的众多非洲物产更加便捷地走进中国消费者的日常生活。

海关总署最新数据显示，今年前5个月，我国对非洲国家进出口1.14万亿元，历史同期首次突破1万亿元，同比增长18.2%。5月当月，自非洲进口951.3亿元，同比增长15%，为连续9个月增长。

农业是中非合作的重点领域。“以前，非洲农产品要抵达重庆，主要靠海运抵达东部沿海地区港口，再经长江运抵重庆。”陆港枢纽（重庆）经贸有限公司总经理王慈航表示，如今有了西部陆海新通道，非洲农产品进入重庆等中国西部市场有了更高效的新选择。

磁器口古镇所在的重庆市沙坪坝区，是西部陆海新通道的策源地和首趟中欧班列的始发地。在国际物流大通道的带动下，这片深居内陆的区域已成功联通全球127个国家和地区的586个港口。

通道之变，带动贸易和产业之变。“过去很长时间里，重庆与非洲的贸易以出口通用机械等传统产品为主。”重庆市沙坪坝区商务委副主任邱凤雅说，近年来，非洲辣椒、木薯粉等越来越多农产品走进重庆市场，摩托车、新能源汽车等“重庆造”也频频亮相非洲大陆。今年年初，沙坪坝还举办了多场非洲国家投资贸易洽谈会，现场发布供需清单和投资机遇，带动一季度对非贸易额同比增长54%。

“咖啡是埃塞俄比亚文化的重要组成部分，代表着团结、关怀和多样性。”米赫雷特说，看到家乡咖啡受到中国朋友们的喜爱，自己对埃塞俄比亚与中国的贸易前景更加充满信心。（记者周思宇）

来源：新华每日电讯

The ancient town of Ciqikou, located on the banks of the Jialing River, has winding bluestone roads and antique stilted houses that attract tourists to stop by from time to time. Amidst the fireworks of the millennium old town, 27 year old Ethiopian girl Mihelet, dressed in traditional attire from her hometown, showcases the unique pottery pot coffee brewed from the African continent.

It's so wonderful to use coffee to achieve cultural exchange in the historic ancient town block! "The Ethiopian Coffee National Promotion and Experience Center, where Mihelet is located, has recently opened and has become one of the popular check-in spots in Chongqing. During peak customer traffic, a cup of coffee can be sold every two minutes.

Hand baked beans with open flames, finely ground with stone mortar, and brewed over low heat in pottery pots... The novel coffee making techniques have made many tourists unable to resist experiencing them. Here, you can not only enjoy delicious coffee, but also experience Ethiopian culture up close, "said citizen Liu Yong as he filmed the display of coffee utensils on site." I didn't expect to experience an 'African cultural journey' right at my doorstep

As the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia has thousands of years of coffee cultivation history, and its unique terroir conditions have nurtured coffee beans with diverse flavors and excellent quality. The country's coffee is known for its fresh fruit aroma, rich floral aroma, and mellow taste, occupying an important position in the global coffee market. As one of the first pilot cities for cultivating and constructing international consumption centers, Chongqing has a strong demand for coffee consumption. In recent years, various coffee festivals and cultural and creative cafes have grown rapidly, achieving a "two-way rush" with Ethiopian coffee.

Starting from May 1st this year, China has fully implemented zero tariff measures for 53 African countries that have established diplomatic relations with China. This policy has strengthened and expanded the coverage, making it more convenient for many African products, including Ethiopian coffee, to enter the daily lives of Chinese consumers.

The latest data from the General Administration of Customs shows that in the first five months of this year, China's imports and exports to African countries reached 1.14 trillion yuan, breaking through 1 trillion yuan for the first time in history, a year-on-year increase of 18.2%. In May, imports from Africa amounted to 95.13 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 15%, marking the ninth consecutive month of growth.

Agriculture is a key area of cooperation between China and Africa. Previously, African agricultural products had to arrive in Chongqing mainly by sea to ports along the eastern coast, and then transported to Chongqing via the Yangtze River, "said Wang Cihang, General Manager of Land Port Hub (Chongqing) Economic and Trade Co., Ltd. Now, with the new western land sea channel, African agricultural products have a more efficient new option to enter the western Chinese market such as Chongqing.

Ciqikou Ancient Town is located in Shapingba District, Chongqing, which is the origin of the Western Land Sea New Corridor and the starting point of the first China Europe freight train. Driven by the international logistics corridor, this inland region has successfully connected 586 ports in 127 countries and regions worldwide.

The change in channels drives the transformation of trade and industry. For a long time in the past, Chongqing's trade with Africa was mainly focused on exporting traditional products such as general machinery, "said Qiu Fengya, Deputy Director of the Shapingba District Commerce Commission of Chongqing. In recent years, more and more agricultural products such as African chili peppers and cassava flour have entered the Chongqing market, and" Chongqing made "motorcycles, new energy vehicles, and other products have also frequently appeared on the African continent. At the beginning of this year, Shapingba also held several investment and trade fairs for African countries, releasing supply and demand lists and investment opportunities on site, driving a year-on-year increase of 54% in trade volume with Africa in the first quarter.

Coffee is an important part of Ethiopian culture, representing unity, care, and diversity, "said Mihrit. Seeing that coffee in his hometown is loved by Chinese friends, he is even more confident about the trade prospects between Ethiopia and China. (Reporter Zhou Siyu)

Source: Xinhua Daily Telegraph