Xinyu's green rise attracts global partnership interest

When former Ethiopian president Mulatu Teshome visited Nanchang, Jiangxi province, in the late 1970s, it was a very different place. Returning to the province nearly half a century later, he found modern factories and something else that stayed with him: greenery along the road to Xinyu.

For Teshome, the changes illustrated how industrial development and environmental protection could advance together, offering lessons for African countries seeking to develop their own green industries through closer cooperation with China.

The former president was among about 120 political, academic and business representatives who gathered in Xinyu on Thursday for a dialogue on high-quality industrial development. International guests also toured Ganfeng Lithium Group and Xinyu Iron and Steel Group, gaining a firsthand look at the city's industrial transformation.

Long known for steelmaking, Xinyu has emerged as a major lithium-processing hub, linking the inland Chinese city to mineral resources, battery manufacturers and markets around the world.

Teshome said China's industrial experience could help African economies develop the skills, technologies and manufacturing capacity needed to create more value from their natural resources.

"For Africa, China is a genuine partner," he told China Daily, emphasizing that cooperation should be based on mutual respect, equality and shared benefits.

He called for stronger cooperation between China and African countries in green energy, technology transfers and industrial development, so that resource-rich nations could participate more fully in the clean-energy value chain.

Hadji Dabo, director-general of Sierra Leone's National Minerals Agency, echoed the call for deeper industrial cooperation.

"Please continue to strengthen the link between your industrial capacity and the resource-rich regions of the world, including by investing in processing where the materials are found, not only in extraction," Dabo said at the dialogue.

He also advocated technical training, educational exchanges and stronger environmental and social standards to make mineral supply chains more sustainable and competitive.

Such cooperation is already taking shape. Xinyu-based Ganfeng Lithium has investments across lithium mining, refining, battery manufacturing and recycling.

According to its 2026 interim report, the company holds a 73 percent stake in the Bombali lithium project in Sierra Leone. The project's initial development plan targets an annual mining and processing capacity of 2 million metric tons of ore, with production capacity expected to begin ramping up in 2027.

Xinyu's own lithium industry has expanded rapidly. In the first eight months, the city's lithium and new energy sector generated 37.31 billion yuan ($5.57 billion) in revenue, up 90.2 percent year-on-year, Jiangxi Daily reported. Lithium battery output reached 31.4 gigawatt-hours, an increase of 49.7 percent.

The city's progress was also reflected in the World Lithium Battery Industry Green Influence Index Annual Report (2026), released during the event.

The report assessed 19 representative lithium-industry cities worldwide and placed Xinyu among the top eight, alongside cities including Ningde, Fujian province; Shenzhen, Guangdong province; and Perth, Australia.

According to the report, Xinyu has developed a model combining lithium-salt processing with battery recycling, supported by established industrial capacity and investment in emerging technologies such as solid-state batteries.

However, translating technological breakthroughs into mass production remains a challenge.

He Lihua, a professor at Central South University's School of Metallurgy and Environment, said during a discussion on solid-state batteries that manufacturing a small battery cell in a lab is considerably easier than achieving consistent quality and performance on an industrial production line.

Li Liangbin, chairman of Ganfeng Lithium, said continued technological innovation would be essential as the battery sector evolves and new technologies transform competition.

Former British lawmaker George Galloway, who visited the city's industrial facilities, praised China's achievements in manufacturing and technological development, highlighting the wider benefits of industrial progress.

International cooperation also gained new momentum on Thursday when Xinyu and Salta, Argentina, signed an international friendly cooperation agreement.

The two cities earlier signed a letter of intent in 2024 and will deepen cooperation in trade, technology, education, culture and other areas.

zhaoruinan@chinadaily.com.cn