How a Hong Kong Enterprise is Transforming Lives t...

How a Hong Kong Enterprise is Transforming Lives through Social Entrepreneurship in China’s Malipo County

Monica Cheru-Managing Editor

At just 25, Jason Choi carries heavy responsibilities.

The third-generation scion of the Hong Kong-based Sunwah business dynasty is the president of the global group’s GBA and Southwest Region.

He holds several other prestigious posts, including the executive vice chairmanship of the Qianhai Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce.

**Malipo Sunwah Tea Factory boss Jason Choi telling the business story in the on site tea exhibition hall**

But perhaps his most important role is being the man at the helm of the Malipo Sunwah Tea Factory. The facility with the latest automated processing lines is more than just a factory. It’s a transformation engine for the lives of thousands.

Choi says the prestigious Sunwah Group, founded in 1957, ventured into this remote part of Yunnan Province in 2023, and he was given the responsibility to manage social responsibility and cultural exchange and create a scalable model for economic renewal.

“We were invited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the local government,” said Choi during a media tour of the factory.

As part of its poverty alleviation programs, the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry has reached out to various players to establish businesses that promote local production in disadvantaged communities. Until 2020, Malipo was designated an impoverished county.

“What we saw were vast tea plantations and communities surviving on the poverty line. We felt it was our mission — even our responsibility — to help,” said Choi.

Choi said the informal tea industry was very basic, with households using rudimentary tools. The processing was often done using the same cooking pots used for lunch. This not only affected taste but raised serious food safety issues. The result was inconsistent quality and a product that struggled to reach markets beyond the village.

The production methods were often counterproductive.

“We saw people cutting trees down completely to harvest leaves,” said Choi. “

Wanting to play their part in creating a world where shared prosperity is a reality and not an empty slogan, Sunwah invested 10 million yuan into the construction and modernization of a nearly 8,000-square-meter tea processing facility.

Only the best was procured, including advanced drying systems, aroma-enhancing machines, standardized packaging lines, and a tea culture exhibition hall.

**The best equipment has been procured to ensure that the products grow into premium world brands**

The results have been transformative. Since operations began in October 2023, the factory has processed over 60 tons of tea leaves, developed 28 unique tea products — including 11 varieties under the “International Friendship Tea” brand — and established partnerships with 15 local enterprises. Most impressively, the initiative has generated more than 8,000 employment opportunities, directly and indirectly.

Although the factory was established to answer a social responsibility call, there is a clear strategy for growth that is not just focused on creating profits for Sunwah but also on carrying along the tea farmers.

“We are not making much profit — just enough to cover salaries and keep the operation going. But that’s okay,” Choi said.

“We believe in building the brand first. When Malipo Tea gains recognition like an LV bag or a Bordeaux wine, people will be willing to pay more, and that value will flow back to farmers and workers.”

The aim, he says, is twofold: raise living standards and create a sustainable, export-ready tea industry. To do that, Sunwah not only buys from local farmers but is setting itself up as a case study and sharing their lessons with the other smaller tea factories in the area.

Marketing, branding, and logistics are part of the knowledge transfer. “We are helping build the Malipo Tea brand — not just our own,” Choi added.

Crucial to Sunwah’s success has been the role of the Malipo government, whose support Choi says is a draw card that other entrepreneurs should think of when they are looking for places to spread their footprint.

“Whenever we have issues — whether it’s educating workers or navigating red tape — the government is there. Even when we get hold of them at night, the answer is always that it will be sorted in the morning,” Choi said.

Choi said strategic location means with the rapid ongoing infrastructure development and increased GDP, Malipo is set for a business boom, and the discerning entrepreneurs will move in early.

He said Malipo sits at the China-Vietnam border, providing direct access to the Vietnamese tourism market and seafood trade routes. The county uniquely holds a license to import and export live seafood — a rarity in China — potentially positioning it as a future logistics hub for fresh produce and aquaculture from Southeast Asia.

“I invite other businesses to visit Malipo and see for themselves,” he said.

Malipo’s success story will sound familiar to Zimbabweans who remember the Kondozi debacle. The privately owned horticulture center had established a vibrant export market, creating jobs for thousands, transforming the lives of the people, and earning much-needed forex for the country.

But the thriving agricultural enterprise fell victim to short-sighted politics that sacrificed national interest at the altar of petty personal grudges.

Many Zimbabwean businesses have expressed frustration with detrimental policies, corruption, and lack of support.

Sunwah’s factory is unfolding into a blueprint that global countries can adapt in how state and private enterprises can work together to uplift people from poverty.

“This is more than a factory. It’s a case study. Malipo shows what’s possible when government and business work together — not for quick profit, but for shared prosperity,” said Choi.