Businessman smells aroma of success from coffee industry in China's ice city

HARBIN, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Di Guochen, a businessman in the city of Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, has an ambitious plan of turning the city into a trading center for raw coffee beans.

As the chairman of the coffee industry and communication alliance in the province, Di is brewing up an idea to grow coffee beans in South America, transport them back to China for processing, and then sell the products to Northeast Asia.

Having lived in Brazil for many years, he deeply understands the coffee industry and is optimistic about the prospect of cooperation with Brazil in the sector.

"South America is known for top-quality coffee, but the preservation time of processed and roasted coffee is relatively short," Di said. "Japan, the Republic of Korea and Russia are big coffee consumers. If a coffee roasting plant is built in Heilongjiang, it can rev up China's coffee industry and better serve the markets in Northeast Asia."

Located in the center of Northeast Asia, Harbin is a place featuring the convergence of Chinese and Western cultures. The city has a profound coffee culture and huge market potential, with hundreds of coffee shops in operation.

Coffee consumption has gradually grown into a habit among white-collar workers, college students and foreigners in Harbin in recent years.

Di, who also runs his own coffee shops, said he chose to start the coffee alliance because he spotted huge market demand in Harbin, especially among young consumers.

"Professors, as well as Chinese and international students from Harbin Institute of Technology and other colleges, often come to my coffee shop," Di said. "Coffee shops can serve as a platform for young people to discuss their ambitions and new ideas in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere."

Zhang Xiaodan, a sales manager at a Harbin-based trade company, initially developed a love for coffee due to her work.

"I used to take my foreign customers to coffee shops for business discussions as they offer a good atmosphere. Gradually, I found drinking coffee can both help me lose weight and improve my mood," Zhang said, adding that she has even bought a coffee machine at home and started studying coffee beans and coffee culture.

Coffee consumption is growing rapidly in China, turning the traditionally tea-drinking country into one of the world's most promising markets for the coffee industry.

The country has seen an expanding coffee consumption market, which is expected to be worth about 1 trillion yuan (about 145.7 billion U.S. dollars) by 2025, according to an industry report.

Di sees great potential and demand in China's coffee market, especially in Heilongjiang, and plans to soon invite partners engaged in the coffee industry in Brazil to the province's free trade zone for investment.

According to him, they have already reached a preliminary cooperation agreement. "Coupled with the tax incentives and other favorable conditions in the free trade zone, we are optimistic about the prospect of the plan," said Di, expressing hopes that the development of the local coffee industry can create more jobs.