Tang Yi Xie Zongming

Listed as one of the seven necessities of ancient China, along with firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, and vinegar, tea has an irreplaceable role in China. The China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), a crucial platform for China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation, has walked on a prospective way of promoting Chinese tea leaf to go global.

Entering a big market through CAEXPO

Since the first CAEXPO was held in 2004, this annual event has built a solid bridge for commerce between China and ASEAN. Tea merchants have seized this opportunity to let their products enter the vast global market.

At the 19th CAEXPO held in 2022, Wuzhou Liu Bao Tea and Hengzhou Jasmine Tea exhibition halls are filled with tourists. The tea artists, tea culture, and tea fragrances all attracted tourists to stay. The refreshing aroma, antique decoration, and the tea artists in traditional clothes pleased the tourists with an unforgettable experience.

The ASEAN is the primary export market of Liu Bao Tea, and it is a crucial area of jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative. Guangxis Wuzhou City, the place of origin of Liu Bao Tea, utilizes its geographic position and CAEXPOs platform by organizing the enterprises in the industry to participate in the CAEXPO for consecutive years, gaining the opportunities of a series of international exchange and cooperation, such as holding promotion conferences, trade fairs, and dialogues in ASEAN countries like Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore, which promotes the communication of the cultural symbol of “ancient tea-ship road.” With the platform of CAEXPO, Wuzhous Liu Bao Tea is sold across the country and the world, becoming a remarkable city symbol. From January to October 2022, Wuzhous export value of Liu Bao Tea reached 5.187 million yuan, of which the ASEAN market accounted for 4.712 million yuan.

As Chinese tea brands spread across the ocean, ASEAN countries also want to seize the opportunity to bring their tea to China. Mr. Xiao Yunfeng, the tea seller from Laos, took the mutual-benefitting trade platform as a chance to bring quality tea from Laos to the 19th CAEXPO to seek cooperation opportunities. Although it was the first time he had joined the event, he was still full of confidence.” We want to combine the best ancient tea tree material with the Puer Teas making technique, the same as the one in Xishuangbanna, China, to produce safe, healthy, and quality ancient tree tea for the customers in Guangxi and the world,” said Mr. Xiao, who added that his tea is all grown in an ancient tea garden in Laos. Thousands of Yunnan Big-Leaf Tea trees aged around 300-1200 years spread irregularly in the production area. Some areas even border Yiwu Town, Xishuangbanna, China, allowing the trees to share the mountains and waters.

CAEXPO has built a bridge for exchange and cooperation for the tea enterprises, which benefits the tea traders. Today, serving the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) countries, the CAEXPO has reached a larger group of markets. “We hope to bring our products to China and more RCEP countries by participating in the exhibition,” said Mr. Zhang Chaohui, General Manager of Laos Sao Chan Tea Co., Ltd., who has been taking part in the CAEXPOs exhibition with the ancient tree tea from Laos since 2017. Now, his company has opened a Chinese branch in Kunming, China, and has set the general agencies in 13 provinces and municipals in China, which has led him to customers across China and gained him a steady flow of business.

Taking tea as the medium to build a channel for cooperation

Exchange forums, exhibitions, and events of the tea industry that are more professional and pertinent keep coming out with the help of the CAEXPO, promoting China-ASEAN cooperation in the tea industry to become more in-depth and practical.

At the 5th China (Nanning) International Tea Industry Expo (Nanning Tea Expo) held in 2015, tea traders of ASEAN countries like Laos and Malaysia and other countries along the Belt and Road targeted Guangxis market. The Gold Champa tea, the first tea brand of Laos, brought foreign tea culture with ASEAN characteristics to the Nanning Tea Expo. “Weve gained confidence at the CAEXPO,” said Liang Ying, Deputy Executive of Gold Champa (Guangxi), who added that the Chinese and overseas traders have had the basic knowledge of Lao ancient tree tea after the exhibition at the CAEXPO. They can further promote their products to the Guangxi and the China market with themed exhibitions like the Nanning Tea Expo.

Also, on September 19, 2022, the 4th World Jasmine Conference opened in Nanning, injecting momentum for improving the jasmine tea industry, a particular tea variant of China. According to Wang Qing, President of the China Tea Marketing Association, Chinas jasmine tea industry can take this opportunity to facilitate technological exchange, production-sale alignment, and the integration of the first, second, and third industries. The event will also improve jasmine and other scented tea industries to develop regional layout, professional and mass production, subsequent processing, and social service function.

In addition, since 2016, Guangxis Wuzhou City also successfully held the Liubao Tea Industry Science and Technology Innovation and Cooperation Summit and the Ancient Tea Boat Waterway — Liupao Tea Development Summit, with which the city can enhance communication with ASEAN countries and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area to seek more cooperation opportunities and further consolidate its footing and expansion in the ASEAN market.

Zhong Changzi, Mayor of Wuzhou, said that everyone could share the development opportunities through all kinds of promotion fairs, trade fairs, dialogues, and sessions, with the Liubao Tea as the medium and the business chambers as the bridge for economic and trade cooperation, which facilitates the trade cooperation for all parties and brings a brighter future for Liubao Teas overseas sales.

Facilitating people-to-people exchange with tea culture

The CAEXPO has upheld the idea of promoting mutually-beneficial business with sincerity while bringing different people closer with inclusivity. The event not only includes political and economic communication but also adheres to promoting business and cultural exchange, for which it has built a multi-level and comprehensive platform for exchange and cooperation to help strengthen the China-ASEAN relations, paving the way for the cultural communication of the two peoples.

China is the original tea producer, and Chinese tea culture derived from this drink is also unique. ASEAN countries and China share a close geographical distance, similar ethnic groups, and parallel cultures, all advantages for cultural communication. With closer economic and trade cooperation in the tea industry, the tea culture exchange between the two sides is also gradually becoming active.

When a guest from afar comes, a Chinese would prefer to treat them with tea. As the country of honor of the 17th CAEXPO in 2020, Laos brought its thousand-year tree tea to the CAEXPO. The Sao Chan ancient tree tea booth immediately attracted many customers on the first day the 17th CAEXPO was opened to the public. In front of the tea table, Zhang Chaohui was brewing tea while telling the visitors the history of Lao ancient tree tea. “It belongs to the big-leaf tea variant, produced by an old tree aged about 500 years. We also have tea trees that are over a thousand years old. Sometimes there are 2000-year or 3000-year trees available for tea production.” Zhangs words brought the customers to the ancient forest in Laos, where the tea trees were grown.

Since the 13th CAEXPO, Zhang has been joining the event every year. His focus has changed from simply selling tea products to starting Chinese tea art courses in Laos to teach the Lao people about Chinese tea culture. “CAEXPO helps our business grow bigger. It also opened up my mind for new business,” said Zhang. Chinese and ASEAN companies and people are open to each other for people-to-people exchange, thanks to the CAEXPO, which brings them closer. “With our efforts, many tea enthusiasts in China have accepted Lao ancient tree tea. Many Lao people also appreciate Chinese tea culture, signing up for our courses and learning Chinese.”

The first Guangxi Tea Culture Festival was held simultaneously with the 11th Nanning Tea Expo in 2021. On the expos first day, several tea-related activities like traditional Chinese flowers arrangement (Sancai Form), Chinese tea brewing techniques in Song Dynasty, and an afternoon tea party were available at the tea culture section. The prosperity of the tea industry will boost the exchange of tea cultures, and the development of tea culture will also promote the improvement of the tea industry in return.

2023 marks the entry into force of RCEP. The year also marks the 20th anniversary of CAEXPO. One can expect that the 20th CAEXPO in 2023 will welcome the tea brands and tea cultures with the unique characteristics of various countries, making friends with tea at this grand event!