When Ren Aizhi, an agronomy teacher from Liaocheng University, first arrived in Tonga in 2020, she faced a challenge: students at Tonga College watered crops with buckets, and agricultural infrastructure was minimal. Today, solar-powered irrigation systems and advanced farming techniques have transformed classrooms and fields alike—a shift made possible by China-Tonga collaboration.
Ren’s journey began under a 2018 memorandum of understanding signed during King Tupou VI’s visit to China, which paved the way for Chinese educators to support Tonga’s development needs. By 2021, funding from the Chinese Embassy enabled the installation of water-saving technologies, multimedia tools, and modern farming equipment. “Students now see agriculture as a science, not just labor,” Ren told CGTN.
Her team’s experimental vegetable garden became a community staple, supplying produce to schools, government offices, and families. Over three years, nearly 300 students received training in sustainable practices—a effort recognized by Tonga’s Palace Office in 2021 for contributing “generous gifts” of knowledge and crops to the nation.
Ren plans to return to Tonga in August with new machinery, including tractors and cassava harvesters, to launch breeding technology demonstrations. “This isn’t just about teaching,” she said. “It’s about building lasting connections through shared progress.”
