'New-style' Chinese tea drinks awe global consumers

Chinese tea is reinventing itself, prompted by the fact that tea and coffee are no longer the only options people turn to while working, relaxing or socializing worldwide.

Once confined to traditional brews, tea is now being blended with milk, fruits and herbs to create inventive flavors that are winning over young consumers and turning these tea-based drinks into a life-style trend.

Fueled by the booming craze for "new-style" Chinese tea drinks, tea producers in East China's Zhejiang province and Southwest China's Yunnan province are seizing the momentum, shifting from bulk leaf exports toward higher-value processing and stronger branding.