The forum emphasized that the tea industry encompasses not only tea cultivation and processing, but also a diverse range of tea-related products, including food items that incorporate tea leaves as an ingredient and teas that promote good health.

The latter was highlighted by Tian Xueyuan, a member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in his speech, saying that he drinks a type of fermented tea daily to maintain well-being.

In order to promote the development of the tea industry, Tian proposes that tea enterprises should uphold tradition while seeking innovation in order to ensure high-quality growth.

"The tea industry is currently facing several issues that are hindering its development. These include a limited range of tea products, a lack of diversity in processing methods, intense competition among similar products, and low added value," Tian says.

"In line with China's high-quality development strategy, the tea industry needs to not only expand production capacity, but also improve efficiency, as well as pursue transformation and upgrading."

During the event, a short film series titled Tea Road was announced. The title refers to an important trade route connecting China with other Eurasian countries, which emerged after the ancient Silk Road.

Set during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the series will depict how merchants from Shanxi and Fujian provinces took tea abroad, fueling the prosperity of the tea trade and China's cross-border commercial exchanges.

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