国产热热热精品,亚洲视频久久】日韩,三级婷婷在线久久,99人妻精品视频,精品九热人人肉肉在线,AV东京热一区二区,91po在线视频观看,久久激情宗合,青青草黄色手机视频

National

Regional

Taiwan, HK, Macao

Special Coverage

Focus

Society

Profiles

China-brand coffee to be served in Starbucks

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-01-14 23:17

BEIJING - Starbucks customers around the world will soon be offered a Chinese coffee from the southwest Yunnan Province.

The coffee giant Starbucks launched its Chinese brand coffee named "South of the Clouds" (the translation of Yunnnan) on Wednesday to mark its first 10 years in China.

Related readings:  China's next export: Starbucks coffee  Starbucks lowers 2009 forecast  Starbucks 'wastes 23 million litres of water each day'

The new Chinese coffee beans and a new blend combining beans from Latin America, Asia/Pacific and China are already available on the Chinese mainland, Singapore and Malaysia.

"Hopefully it will reach all Asian markets in 2010 and take another several years for other markets such as the US," Martin Coles, president of Starbucks Coffee International, said.

The company had been working with farmers and suppliers in the Baoshan region of Yunnan for three years.

"We believe the growing conditions in Baoshan can be as good as anywhere else in the world, and we are excited to take coffee from China to share with people all around the world," said Dub Hay, senior vice president of Starbucks Coffee and Tea.

The Seattle-based company, which is closing stores in the United States and Australia to cut costs amid the economic downturn, said its business in China was still very strong.

"China is a growth today and will continue to be a growth tomorrow. Now the Chinese market is among our top five, and it will possibly become the second largest or even the first surpassing the US," said Coles.

Starbucks, which opened its first store on the Chinese mainland in 1999, has more than 350 stores in 26 cities. It opened 40 stores in China last year.

The company also announced Wednesday a donation of 5 million yuan (US$730,000) to support 1,600 teachers and more than 420,000 students in the quake-hit Sichuan Province in five years.

Wang Jinlong, president of Starbucks for greater China, said purchasing coffee from China was a cost reduction, but the launch was more of a commitment to stimulating the Chinese coffee industry.

"We hope someday Chinese coffee will be as famous as Chinese tea," said Wang.