In recent years, Chinese tea beverage brands have become an increasingly familiar sight overseas. From Kuala Lumpur to Singapore and as far as Los Angeles in the United States, Chinese milk tea and freshly brewed tea brands are establishing a presence in mainstream commercial districts, airports and university campuses.
As store networks expand and local teams grow, these brands are entering a more structured and sustainable phase of international development.
Several brands have emerged as key players in this trend. Mixue Ice Cream and Tea has built one of the largest overseas networks among Chinese beverage chains, while Chagee has positioned itself around premium tea concepts and localized branding. Other major brands, including ChaP-anda, Heytea and Nayuki, have also tested international waters at varying speeds and scales.
Expanding abroad
Among the fastest-growing players abroad is Mixue, which has entered 14 countries, with more than 4,700 stores operating outside China. Southeast Asia remains its core overseas market.
Mixue began its international operations in 2017 and opened its first overseas store in Vietnam the following year. Supported by its self-built supply chain and in-house production of core ingredients, the company has replicated its cost-control model abroad.
"We are committed to ensuring that every consumer around the world can enjoy a high-quality product at an affordable price," said Bai Di, head of public affairs at Mixue Group.
Its first Los Angeles store, located near Hollywood Boulevard's TCL Chinese Theatre, offers ice cream at $1.19 and bubble tea starting at $3.99, positioning itself competitively within the local market.
"This is a must-try here ... especially the brown sugar milk tea," Sheela Ganesh Acharya, a Singaporean Mixue consumer, said.
"The taste really stands out, and the pricing makes it even more appealing," she added.
Chagee, meanwhile, has taken a more measured approach. After entering Malaysia in 2019, it has expanded to 196 stores in the market. In Singapore, it operates 22 outlets, including at Changi Airport and the National University of Singapore.
In Indonesia, Chagee operates through a joint venture with a subsidiary of local retail group Erajaya and has secured halal certification to better align with local consumer expectations.
In the third quarter of 2025, Chagee achieved an overseas gross merchandise volume exceeding 300 million yuan ($43.59 million), representing a year-on-year increase of 75.3 percent and a quarter-on-quarter growth of 27.7 percent.
"Whenever new products are launched, there are always long lines of customers in Chagee shops," said Hazaid, area manager of Chagee Malaysia.
Localization is the key
For many brands, localization has become central to long-term growth.
For instance, Mixue has adjusted sweetness levels, tea bases and ingredient combinations to suit local tastes. In Southeast Asia's tropical climate, the company has increased the proportion of iced beverages and incorporated tropical fruit flavors.
"Taste is the entry ticket," said Shang Xiangmin, co-founder and vice-president of Chagee. "Cultural connection and integration are what sustain consumer loyalty," Shang noted that Chagee's goal is to present traditional Eastern tea in a modern and accessible way.
To achieve this, the company has experimented with culturally themed product launches, linking drinks to national celebrations or local design elements.
In August 2025, to commemorate Singapore's National Day, Chagee introduced a new orchid-flavored beverage, the Orchid Biluochun Milk Tea, inspired by Singapore's national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim.
In Malaysia, the brand launched a product incorporating the traditional textile element telepuk and collaborated with the Malaysian National Textile Museum on themed cultural activities.
More recently, Chagee partnered with the Asian Civilisations Museum and the Singapore Tourism Board to launch Garden of Senses: A Tea Reverie, an immersive, multisensory exhibition exploring tea culture. The project marked ACM's first in-depth curatorial collaboration with an international brand.
By the end of 2025, Chagee's overseas membership in the Asia-Pacific region had grown 177 percent from a year earlier, with 61 percent of members under the age of 30, highlighting the brand's strong appeal among younger consumers.
Mixue has pursued localization through its Snow King mascot. The endearing snowman, ubiquitous across Chinese cities, functions as a highly recognizable symbol, linking Chinese cultural elements with overseas audiences.
Promoted through multilingual animations and themed events, the character offers a playful and culturally adaptable branding approach.
For many foreign consumers, "Chinese tea" used to mean premium, high-end products that felt distant from ordinary people. "But today's Chinese tea drink brands have completely changed that perception of traditional Chinese tea — they taste modern and stylish," said Natalie, a Generation Z Thai woman.
A win-win path
Beyond business expansion, Chinese tea beverage brands are also integrating social responsibility into their global strategies.
In Singapore, Chagee opened a "silent store" staffed by hearing-impaired employees and equipped with accessible facilities. The initiative highlights the brand's commitment to inclusive employment while contributing to local communities.
Mixue emphasizes local hiring and talent development. In Malaysia alone, the brand employs over 2,900 local staff and has trained more than 4,000 personnel to date.
The brand is also exploring local sourcing for ingredients such as dragon fruit and passion fruit in Cambodia, linking overseas growth with support for regional agriculture.
Health and nutrition have also become part of the industry's evolving agenda. In December 2025, Chagee Malaysia received certification under the health ministry's Healthier Dining Programme, which requires beverages to contain no more than five grams of sugar per 100 milliliters. The recognition made Chagee the first freshly made tea brand in Malaysia to receive the designation.
To further support informed consumer choices, the company has introduced a calorie calculator on its app, allowing customers to view estimated calorie content for customized drinks before placing an order.
These efforts demonstrate an approach to overseas operations that combines commercial objectives with social contributions, reflecting how Chinese tea drink brands aim to create mutually beneficial outcomes for themselves and local communities, said analysts.
They believe that overseas expansion is transitioning from scale expansion to quality enhancement.
Analysts praise the combination of mature supply chain capabilities, digital operations, and the trend toward health upgrades as consistently raising the profile of Chinese consumer brands.
Xinhua
