Harvest at a Chilean cherry farm. [Photo/ciie.org]

Chile, a country 20,000 kilometers away from China, is familiar to Chinese people for its delicious cherries. It is reported that 180,000 tons of Chilean cherries were eaten by Chinese people last year, which brought great benefit to that country's cherry farmers.

According to Chen Na, a cherry wholesaler in the Zhengzhou Wanbang International Agricultural Products Logistics Park in Henan province, over 5,000 kilograms a day of Chilean cherries are sold. In addition to Henan customers, the cherries reach consumers in several other provinces, including the distant Heilongjiang.

According to official data, Chile's export of cherries to China has grown rapidly, from $1 million in 2006 to $1 billion in 2018. Exports to China today total 180,000 tons per year, 88 percent of Chile's total.

"China's growing demand for Chilean cherries has improved the quality of life for people in the areas where the cherries grow," said Cristian Tagle, president of the Cherries Committee of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association.

The huge planting area has led to the improvement of infrastructure, the increase of import and export of goods and the increase of employment in the cherry producing area, added Tagle.

Cui Shoujun, director of the Research Center for Latin American Studies at Renmin University of China, said the story of the cherry once again shows that China's efforts to promote global trade liberalization and facilitation will improve the quality of life and prosperity of people around the world and promote the development of the global economy.