Academician: New quality productive forces aid tea's market expansion

Liu Zhonghua, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, has noted that practical exploration of new quality productive forces in the Pu'er tea industry can chart a clear path for the famous tea's high-quality development.

Liu, also honorary president of China Tea Marketing Association, said technological empowerment, model innovation, and industrial chain upgrading can aid the tea brand's market expansion.

Pu'er tea has a reputation as "the best tea" that not only quenches thirst but is also good for beauty and health. The tea has miraculous qualities because of its fermentation process, which forms a unique "sediment", making the taste mild.

Liu made the remarks at the 2025 China Pu'er Tea Conference, which opened on Aug 8 in Menghai county, Yunnan province, with a theme of "Boosting Consumption, Revitalizing Rural Areas: Pooling Wisdom for Menghai's Innovation and Chain Integration."

In his keynote address, Wang Qing, president of China Tea Marketing Association and director of National Technical Committee 339 on Tea of Standardization Administration of China, stressed that Menghai, as China's core production hub for Pu'er tea, has cultivated a "Menghai Flavor" through its premium resources, establishing itself as an industry benchmark.

The event can help drive deep integration between local specialty industries and market resources, ultimately achieving mutual success in production and sales, he said.

In her welcoming speech, Tao Yan, Party secretary of Menghai, emphasized that the Pu'er tea industry serves as the core engine driving the county's high-quality development and rural vitalization, embodying the philosophy of "Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets."

She said she hoped this conference will help bolster technological empowerment, integration of tea culture with tourism and strengthening industrial chains, so as to propel Menghai's tea industry to new heights.

Attracting visitors from all over the world, the conference was also attended by a group of other officials and industry representatives.

During the presentation session, representatives from leading Pu'er tea enterprises, including Yulin Ancient Tree Tea, Chen Sheng, and Dayi, also delivered insightful analyses.

It has been learned that this immersive experience not only allowed attendees to appreciate the profound charm of Pu'er tea culture, but also established a high-end platform for industry collaboration - bridging production - sales connections, resource sharing, and intellectual exchange.