On March 27, 2025, when the first ray of morning light pierced the sky, the loading and unloading area of our factory was already brightly lit. Forklift trucks are roaring and shuttling back and forth, more than ten workers are putting the last batch of coconut mesh bags into the container neatly – this is the 210,000 coconut special mesh bags ordered by the Philippine customer, after 15 days of overtime production, today finally embarked on the journey across the South China Sea.
“Pay attention to the center of gravity!” Workshop director Lao Zhang’s shout echoed in the air mixed with dew. Workers in groups of two, will weigh 76 kilograms of mesh bags steadily lifting, back sweat has long soaked through the overalls. Quality inspector Li squatted at the mouth of the container, using a tape measure to repeatedly measure the spacing between each layer of stacking to ensure safe transportation. I looked at their temples dampened by the morning mist, at this moment, these sweat-soaked mesh bags are carrying the common expectations of agricultural practitioners in China and the Philippines.
Recalling the scene when they received the order 18 days ago, the big sisters on the production line spontaneously worked overtime to catch up with the work.” Philippine coconuts are going to be exported to Europe and the United States, and our bags can’t lose face!” Sister Wang, a veteran employee, spoke everyone’s mind. When the samples passed the SGS test yesterday, the applause that rang out in the quality control room still echoes in our ears – this is not only a recognition of the product, but also a salute to the excellence of each link.
With the container slowly closed, I seem to see these mesh bags are crossing the blue sea and blue sky, full of golden fruits in the coconut grove in the Philippines. A Filipino customer once wrote in an e-mail, “The efforts of our Chinese friends enable our coconuts to go farther.” This sentence reminds me of the newly erected slogan outside the factory: “Weaving the world, connecting the future.” Indeed, every warp and weft thread tells the temperature of Made in China, and every shipment is the fulfillment of a promise to global customers.
At this moment, I am standing in front of the container, looking at the tired but gratified smiles of the workers’ brothers, and suddenly realized that this is not only an ordinary export, but also a transnational friendship woven together by the persistence of countless ordinary posts. When the coconut farmers in the Philippines filled these mesh bags with the joy of harvest, they touched not only the tough bags, but also the craftsmanship and enthusiasm of Chinese industrial workers.
As the twilight grows thicker, the lights of the container trucks pierce the night and head for the port. I believe that today’s sweat will eventually water tomorrow’s fruit, and the sincerity and hard work of China’s manufacturing industry is just like this colorful red mesh bags, which connects friends from all over the world. We warmly welcome global businessmen to come to China and to our factories, and let’s join hands to weave more trade stories belonging to this era.
