[Study and Implement the Spirit of the 20th Congress ④] In the New Era, Science and Technology Drive Development; on the New Journey, Talent Leads the Future

A tea artist demonstrates the tea art. Image: Hejing Tea Ceremony School
Introduction
On October 22, the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China successfully closed in Beijing.
To study and implement in depth the spirit of the 20th Party Congress, exchange insights, and turn learning into vivid practice in building the tea industry, China Cooperation Times · Tea Weekly all media proudly launched the column “The Tea Industry Studies and Implements the Spirit of the 20th Party Congress.”
This is the final installment of the column.
In the new era, science and technology drive development
On the new journey, talent leads the future

About the authors
Tang Hongping, secretary of the Party Committee of the College of Tea and Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University; associate professor; mainly engaged in Party building and ideological-political education in universities, student education and management, and agricultural economics and policy research
Li Daxiang, dean of the College of Tea and Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University; PhD, professor, doctoral supervisor; mainly engaged in teaching and research on tea nutrition, quality and health, tea biochemistry and comprehensive utilization, and tea standards
From October 16 to 22, the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China successfully convened in Beijing. General Secretary Xi’s report at the opening session was incisive and sweeping, magnificent and inspiring.
At the closing session, General Secretary Xi said: “The achievements of the past century are glorious beyond compare, and our century-old Party is in its prime. We have every confidence and every ability to create new and greater miracles that will astonish the world on the new journey of the new era.” On this new journey, we should raise our banner high, march forward with full confidence and daring, and strive for excellent results.
China is the homeland of tea and the birthplace of tea culture. Tea is the world’s “calling card” most distinctively Chinese: it is both an important industry driving rural revitalization and a carrier of the Chinese nation’s long and splendid culture.
General Secretary Xi attaches great importance to tea industry development and tea culture exchange. In his letter congratulating the first “International Tea Day,” he noted that tea originated in China and prevails throughout the world. As a major tea producer and consumer, China stands ready to work with all parties to promote the sustained, healthy development of the global tea industry, deepen the mutual learning of tea cultures, let more people know and love tea, and share the fragrance of tea and the beauty of life. From March 22 to 25, 2021, during his inspection of Fujian Province, the General Secretary pointed out that we must coordinate the great undertaking of tea culture, tea industry and tea science and technology.
Casting the soul with tea culture: building firm the ideological foundation
As a national model for Party building among universities’ faculties, the College of Tea and Food Science and Technology of Anhui Agricultural University studies the spirit of the 20th Party Congress in depth, grasps its essence, raises its political standpoint, and builds firm its ideological foundation. Study, publicity and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era must always be the primary political task.
In particular, we must study in depth the General Secretary’s important expositions on “agriculture, rural areas and farmers” and his important instructions on tea industry development, including “deepen the mutual learning of tea cultures, let more people know and love tea, and share the fragrance of tea and the beauty of life.”
As one of Anhui Province’s first bases for the transmission of fine traditional Chinese culture, the college must make its mark in the history of tea, the way of tea, and tea culture exchange and dissemination; reviving Chinese tea culture and, through tea culture exchange, boldly shouldering the responsibility and mission of promoting fine traditional Chinese culture in international society in the new era.
Supporting national development and rural revitalization with the tea industry
A single tea leaf has built a tea industry and enriched a region’s people. The 20th Congress report called for “vigorous promotion of high-quality development.” In developing the modern industrial system, Chinese tea people take next-generation information technology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and green environmental protection as new growth engines of the modern tea industry. We must go deep into the tea mountains and gardens, express love of country in serving the tea industry, and use new development thinking and concepts to solve the industry’s problems of supply-demand imbalance, unstable quality, low returns, and marketing chaos, supporting the high-quality development of the tea industry.

Yang Yunqiu (first from right), teacher of tea science at Anhui Agricultural University, conducts science-and-technology service work in the Lebugou tea area of Zhari Township and Cuona County, Tibet Autonomous Region. Image: Anhui Agricultural University
In comprehensively advancing rural revitalization, the tea industry is a rural specialty industry and an industry of prosperity that broadens farmers’ channels of income growth. The college’s tea science teaching team, a national “Huang Danian-style” teacher team, will continue to uphold Mr. Huang Danian’s patriotic devotion—”a greater self in heart, serving the nation with utmost sincerity”—walk well the path of high-quality development of tea higher education in the new era, cultivate more high-level tea talent, achieve more tea science and technology results, and better serve the industry’s high-quality development.
Empowering with tea science and technology: shouldering the tea person’s responsibility and mission
The 20th Congress report states: “We must uphold science and technology as the primary productive force, talent as the primary resource, and innovation as the primary driver; we must thoroughly implement the strategy of invigorating China through science and education, the strategy of strengthening the country through talent, and the innovation-driven development strategy.” The college will strive to build well the State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Resource Utilization and the International Joint Laboratory of Tea Chemistry and Health, giving full play to its roles as the main force of basic research, the main position of talent cultivation, and the wellspring of major scientific breakthroughs, and achieving greater progress in the tea industry’s self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology.