Xiaoguancha, a high-end Chinese tea company based in Beijing, launched a new gifting product in June in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Embassy to enhance tea cultural exchanges between countries.

The new product consists of a Chinese black tea and a Ceylon Tea.

The Ambassador, Dr Palitha Kohona, while speaking at the launching event said that, Sri Lanka Tea, or Ceylon Tea, is unique for many qualities including its taste, aroma and purity. In 2021, China imported 15.2 million kilograms of Ceylon tea, worth $76 million, from Sri Lanka.

The ambassador said that China is the second largest economy in the world, which could be a lucrative market for Sri Lanka's new exporters.

Mei Jiang, vice-president of Xiaoguancha, said the Chinese black tea from Yunnan province is popular among international tea drinkers as a way of exporting China's long-established tea culture.

Mei said the company is looking forward to expanding its reach overseas to have younger consumers in foreign countries taste the modern and innovative Chinese tea products.

"We've invested heavily in product innovation and smart technology for our supply chain in an effort to transform the tea industry and bring a refreshing tea drinking experience to our consumers at home and abroad," said Mei.

The company is rolling out more such events and collaboration products by working with various embassies this year.