World Tea Connect: Peace – Cooperation – Friendship and Sustainable Development

(Ho Chi Minh City, 25 November 2025) – From a cultural ritual, Vietnamese tea has taken a major step forward to become a symbol of soft diplomacy in a new era. The CEO 500 – TEA CONNECT event, themed "Ho Chi Minh City – Towards an International Megacity in the Digital Era", was not only a high-level economic forum but also an important milestone affirming the rise of the art of tea in global diplomacy.

World Tea Connect – A Cup of Tea Opens a Story: A Cultural Bridge Opening High-Level Dialogue

An upgraded edition of CEO 100 – TEA CONNECT (launched in 2023), CEO 500 – TEA CONNECT has not only expanded in scale but has also been elevated into a global "round-table dialogue" between the State, businesses and international experts. Vietnamese tea culture served as a gentle catalyst for diplomacy, creating a deep emotional connection from the very opening moment.
The performance "Vietnamese Tea – the Fragrance of the Land, the Colours of the Sky and the Soul of the Vietnamese People" created an atmosphere steeped in Vietnamese identity: solemn yet graceful, traditional yet modern.

The international tea invitation ceremony

In that highly symbolic setting, the tea-offering and tea-serving ritual performed by Vietnamese tea artisans also opened the way for dialogue among more than 500 leaders, CEOs and international experts. There, delegates had the opportunity to network and exchange views while experiencing the finest of Vietnamese tea at the business exhibition areas.

The performance "Vietnamese Tea – the Fragrance of the Land, the Colours of the Sky and the Soul of the Vietnamese People" by the Doidep brand welcoming distinguished delegates

Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son and Ho Chi Minh City leaders offering tea to distinguished delegates

World Tea Connect – A Ceremony That Begins Connection: When Culture Meets the Vision of National Development
Amid the Vietnamese tea setting, conversations about digital transformation, green transformation, the international financial centre, the innovation ecosystem, AI human resources and strategic infrastructure development were connected more openly and more sincerely.
The 95-minute dialogue session of CEO 500 – TEA CONNECT, chaired by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh together with city leaders, brought together more than 20 presentations from leading corporations such as Sunwah Innovations, Qualcomm, Siemens and Amazon, along with many outstanding Vietnamese enterprises such as Nam A Commercial Joint Stock Bank.
The working sessions began with a peaceful moment of tea, where leaders and businesses could easily find a "common frequency" for conversation. Here, expectations and solutions were brought together, jointly shaping the path for Ho Chi Minh City to become an international megacity in the digital era.

International delegates enjoying tea

World Tea Connect – An Event That Shapes the Future: When a Small Cup of Tea Opens Great Doors of Technology and Builds the Future.
The event witnessed a series of important memoranda of understanding between key agencies and global corporations. All shared the same assessment: Ho Chi Minh City is a destination for next-generation technology, industry and infrastructure, well suited for hosting R&D centres and piloting new models, as well as expanding global supply chains.
These handshakes carry not only economic value but also the spirit of TEA CONNECT: strong connection – sustainable cooperation – long-term development.
The rise of Vietnamese tea on the global diplomatic map
From the solemn tea invitation ritual to moments of strategic dialogue, Vietnamese tea has been present as a language that crosses borders – calm yet powerful.
The rise of World Tea Connect tea diplomacy is not merely the flourishing of a cultural ritual. It is also the image of Vietnam stepping into the world with its identity, its intellect and its spirit of harmony.
A cup of tea opens a story
A ceremony begins a connection
An event shapes the future
Vietnamese tea, from quiet hillside plantations, has now become a symbol of economic diplomacy in a new era, accompanying the aspiration to build a Vietnam that is sustainable, civilised and deeply integrated with the world.
TOWARDS WORLD T.E.A FEST 2025 – A JOURNEY OF PEACE – COOPERATION – FRIENDSHIP – SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.
The success of Tea Connect further affirms the role of Vietnamese tea in economic diplomacy and international exchange. Building on that achievement, World T.E.A Fest 2025 will take place in Lam Dong from 11 November to 7 December 2025, with the main programme of activities from 5 to 7 December 2025
The tea invitation performance "Vu Khuc Tam Thanh" by the Doidep brand
The festival is presented as a global-scale cultural and creative event, bringing together many standout activities:
Tea Summit – a strategic discussion forum among tea nations.
Tea Expo – a trade exhibition with the participation of domestic and international businesses.
Tea Carnival – a street festival rich in cultural colour.
Tea Connect – Tea Diplomacy, telling Vietnam's proud story in the language of tea.

World Tea Fest 2025 not only promotes the Vietnamese tea brand but is also a journey of connecting communities and spreading the Vietnamese spirit of solidarity, self-reliance and compassion. Through exchange activities, volunteering, development cooperation and programmes promoting regional cultures, the event carries a message of joining hands to overcome difficulties and develop sustainably.
The festival expects to set a number of impressive records, including a synchronised performance by 1,111 tea maidens, showcasing the cultural beauty and resilient spirit of the Vietnamese people.
World T.E.A Fest 2025 promises to become a new symbol of pride in Vietnamese brands, spreading noble values – culture, self-reliance, creativity and connection – for the future of the nation, and joining the world in building peace, cooperation, development and friendship.

Source: DOIDEP