Move over, Silicon Valley—Kunshan is brewing something hotter ☕! This eastern Chinese city, better known for tech manufacturing, has defied expectations by creating a full coffee industry chain from scratch. No coffee farms? No problem! 🌱
Through innovative partnerships and tech-driven logistics, Kunshan now hosts over 500 coffee-related businesses—from bean roasting labs to latte art academies. Local entrepreneur Li Wei told CGTN: "We saw a gap in China's booming coffee market and built bridges between global suppliers and domestic consumers." 🌉
What’s the secret sauce? A tight-knit ecosystem where equipment makers, barista trainers, and packaging designers collaborate like a well-oiled espresso machine. The result? A 20% annual growth rate in coffee exports since 2020 📈.
This caffeine-powered transformation reflects China's evolving tastes—where young consumers now drink 5 cups weekly on average, up from 1 in 2018. Kunshan’s story proves that with smart planning, even non-traditional regions can perk up the global economy ☕💡.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com