By Olukayode Olumuyiwa.
In a remarkable and distinctive development for Sino-Nigerian trade relations, Mr. Austine Akpehe, the chief executive officer of Galaxy Sports and Hunan Galaxy Global Trade Development Company Limited, has been formally appointed as the International Market Development Consultant for the Huangjing industry in China.
The prestigious three-year appointment was announced during the Huangjing Foreign Trade Exchange Conference, held in Xinhuang County, China, on October 25, 2025. Mr. Akpehe, a Nigerian national based in China, has been tasked with ”promoting and enhancing the trade of the high-quality Xinhuang Huangjing product in the global market.” This role emphasizes the promotion of Huangjing, known scientifically as Polygonatum sibiricum, as a treasure of homologous medicine and food rooted in traditional Chinese medicine culture. The product carries profound traditional representatives from the Royal Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, highlighting its vitality worldwide. Promoting the international trade of Huangjing is not only about the circulation of goods but also the exchange and mutual learning of health concepts.
Xinhuang, located in the transition zone of the Wuling Mountains—a branch of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau—spans an area with an altitude ranging from 500 to 1,200 meters, accounting for 84.22% of the total area as mountains and a forest coverage rate of 70.41%. The climate here is warm and humid year-round, with short severe cold periods, long frost-free periods, and abundant rainfall, providing a unique and ideal environment for the growth of Polygonatum sibiricum (Huangjing). Tests conducted by domestic professional institutions show that Xinhuang Huangjing meets high-quality standards, with its polysaccharide content reaching 1.6 times the average and 4 colors, making it a key product for industrial empowerment through cultural exchange.
Deepening International Cooperation
The conference, which was part of the 3rd China Huangjing Industry Development Conference, aimed to deepen trade cooperation and promote the Huangjing product to serve global health. Hosted by County Magistrate Liao, the event featured a speech by Zhong Heping, Deputy County Magistrate of Xinhuang Dong Autonomous County People’s Government. The gathering underscored Xinhuang County’s commitment to international exchange, noting the historical collaboration with countries like Malawi, citing a cooperation memorandum signed between Huaihua City and Malawi’s Ministry of Agriculture in 2023.
To boldly “go global” and warmly welcome all countries to come to Xinhuang for investigations and investments from investment and establish long-term and stable purchase and sales relationships, the conference hoped to establish a normalized communication mechanism with all the institutions and enterprises present here, and jointly explore a more effective cooperation model. Key focuses included deepening scientific and technological research and development innovation to cultivate the “core driving force” for industrial development. This involves continuing to increase investment in science and technology, supporting enterprises and scientific institutions, and deepening material science research, biotechnology application, and product innovation. Initiatives include jointly building laboratories with universities, conducting joint research, establishing research and development alliances, opening up cooperative platforms, and promoting the transformation of scientific and technological achievements.
Working hand in hand, the conference aimed to jointly draw a new blueprint for the high-quality development of the Xinhuang Huangjing industry. Looking forward to the future, promoting the high-quality development of the Xinhuang Huangjing industry requires improving both internally and externally, linking up multiple parties, and especially deepening cooperation with international partners. Several initiatives were put forward: first, developing product original capability, leading national combined products’ “living stone”; second, stepping up the construction of a complete industrial system from the source to the terminal, successfully building the “One Body, Two Wings and Three Centers” for Xinhuang Huangjing and constructing a complete industrial system from the source to the terminal. Successfully, the company has obtained the “Internet Drug Information Service Project License” issued by the Hunan Provincial Drug Administration, and the qualifications of “Organic Food” and “Genuine Medicinal Materials” issued by the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China. It owns 4 major brands including “Dong Township Huangjing”, “Dong Township Immortal Herb” and “Jindu Zhengjitang.” Entrusted by the Ministry of Education of Vietnam, the company completed the Vietnamese textbook TCM Health Preservation (Huangjing). It has been approved to build the “Xinhuang Huangjing Traceability Information Management Platform”, “Xinhuang Chinese Medicinal Materials (Huangjing) Ecological Planting Digital Platform” and “Chronic Disease Management (Food and Medicine Homology) TCM (Dong Medicine) Smart Medical Platform”.
The distinguished foreign delegates who were present at the conference included:
Malawi: Mr. Hlex, Vice Consul General of the Republic of Malawi in Changsha, and Mr. David, Administrative Vice Consul General of the Republic of Malawi in Changsha.
Nigeria: Mr. Austin, Executive Chairman (China/Africa), Hunan Galaxy Global Trade Development and representative of Hunan Africa Edifice Invention.
Madagascar: Mr. Keke, Deputy Chinese Representative of the Antananarivo Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Lesotho: Mr. Roputin, Deputy Representative of the China Office of the Lesotho Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Algeria: Mr. Mulei Zhelugui, Director of the Tigzirt TCM Clinic Center of the Royal Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Indonesia: Mr. Afen Yuslan Sanga, General Manager of the International Relations and Cooperation Department of Wumi Group, and Mr. Muhammad Ali Kismail, Secretary-General of Wumi Group.
The event also highlighted recent achievements, such as the successful signing with the Lesotho Chamber of Commerce and Industry tonight, marking a brand-new starting point for Xinhuang Huangjing to move towards higher standards and higher added value. Complementary advantages and mutually beneficial win-win results were emphasized, with a focus on jointly building long-term stable business relationships.
Associate Companies and Vision
The Huangjing industry’s growth is supported by robust infrastructure, including large-scale seedling cultivation across 4,000 mu (approximately 0.0667 hectares per mu) in the county, with a built 400-mu Huangjing parent nursery. Four seedling companies, including Nongken, Yuelushan Chinese Medicinal Materials Seed Industry Innovation Center, and Yunnan Lishuo Agriculture, have established standardized, large-scale greenhouse seedling bases covering over 1,000 mu in Xinhuang. These bases produce more than 200 million high-quality Huangjing seedlings annually, meeting the planting needs of over 40,000 mu of Huangjing in Xinhuang and surrounding counties and cities. Xinhuang vigorously promotes the ecological composite planting mode of forestry, Huangjing, and the dryland intercropping mode in forest edge areas. Zhongken TCM has established a 1,300-mu GAP (Good Agricultural Practice) traceability information management base. Currently, cooperative intentions have been reached with Guizhou Jinchuan Industrial Co., Ltd. and Chongqing Fantian Biotechnology Co., Ltd., which will build 4,000 mu of standardized seedling and planting bases in Xinhuang.
In terms of large-scale primary processing, Xinhuang has successfully introduced 32 primary (and deep) processing enterprises, such as Hunan Boshikang Xinhuang Huangjing Technology Co., Ltd., Xinhuang Huangjing Modern Agricultural Development Co., Ltd., Beijing Zhongken Dao Di TCM Technology Co., Ltd., Xinhuang Branch, Xinhuang Dongzhen Huangjing Biotechnology Co., Ltd., and Hunan Baibing Dongzhen Health Management Group. In 2024, 40 new business entities engaged in Huangjing (Chinese medicinal material) production and operation were added, bringing the total to 471. The primary processed products of Huangjing mainly include dried Huangjing roots and slices, which are mainly sold to Bozhou (Anhui Province), Guangzhou, and other regions. At present, a new primary processing base of the Xinhuang Dong Township Huangjing Industrial Park has been completed, covering over 180 mu.
For park construction, the “China Xinhuang” professional processing park is under international city planning, with a total construction area of 1,000 mu. The first phase of the project covers 400 mu, including over 200,000 square meters of standardized workshops and more than 30,000 square meters.
Sales efforts include an online and offline Huangjing trading market initially established since 2023, with the China Huangjing Industry Development Conference permanently based in Xinhuang and held annually in October. In 2024, Xinhuang Huangjing was designated as the official product of the Embassy of the Republic of Madagascar in China and successfully entered overseas markets such as Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, and Kuwait. The Xinhuang Huangjing Manor—a 110-mu live-streaming e-commerce base for production, education, and research, co-built with Hunan Economic TV—has been initially completed.
Additionally, cooperation agreements have been signed with Chizhou Huazhengshai Food Group (a national leading enterprise in the Huangjing industry) and for the Beijing Zhongken TCM processing and extraction project.
The Xinhuang Huangjing Modern Agricultural Development Co., Ltd., a state-owned sole proprietorship enterprise under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, with its headquarters located in Xinhuang Dong Autonomous County, Hunan Province, was rooted in Xinhuang since the beginning of 2024.
Bridging Trade and Sport
Mr. Akpehe’s selection is particularly noteworthy given his dual expertise in international trade and sports development through his leadership of both the Hunan Galaxy Global Trade Development Company Limited, Galaxy Sports Development, Galaxy Sports Academy Limited, and Hunan Africa Edifice Invention Limited.
His appointment as an international market consultant provides a unique opportunity to build commercial bridges that could extend beyond traditional trade into the realm of sports exchange. Mr. Akpehe’s existing work with the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and Nigeria National League (NNL), Galaxy Sports, which focuses on collaborating with football clubs, leagues, and football associations in seeking partnerships, cooperation, investments, and sponsorships. His football agency helps in talent development and the promotion of young Nigerian players and securing professional opportunities in Europe and Asia. These align perfectly with his company’s goal of fostering strong economic and cultural ties between Nigeria and China.
This new role, confirmed by the Xinhuang County authorities, signals China’s keen interest in leveraging private-sector expertise to drive local industry global expansion, and simultaneously elevates the profile of Nigerian entrepreneurs in key sectors of the Chinese economy. It is anticipated that this three-year mandate will not only boost the Huangjing industry but also create new avenues for cultural and sports cooperation, further strengthening the Sino-Nigerian relationship.
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