In November, when outdoor temperatures hovered at just 8 C, a delegation from Indonesia experienced advanced agricultural technology firsthand inside a greenhouse in Cuilingxi village, Shouguang, Weifang, in East China's Shandong province. In a greenhouse, where temperatures were kept at 33 C, the Indonesian officials examined rows of thriving cucumber plants.

"This greenhouse was built in 2016 with an investment of 160,000 yuan ($22,630), and it paid for itself in less than two years," said Cui Xinzhong, a member of the local farmers' cooperative who manages three such greenhouses and reports an annual income of 300,000 yuan.