WALOVI has signed distribution agreements with partners in 10 countries across South America, Africa and Central Asia as the Chinese herbal tea brand expands into emerging markets.
The expansion follows WALOVI’s launch of its International Cans at the Fortune Global Forum in Saudi Arabia as part of efforts to strengthen its presence in the Middle East. The firm identified Saudi Arabia’s strong consumer purchasing power and role as a regional Gulf hub as strategic advantages for further expansion.
The brand also launched sparkling and sugar-free canned formats last August as part of efforts to standardise its global branding strategy.
WALOVI was created for international markets but uses the same flavour profile and formulation as the domestic Wanglaoji brand.
“We believe that together we can integrate Eastern health wisdom into daily life worldwide, making WALOVI a trusted health choice globally,” said Chairman Fang Dafeng of Wanglaoji Great Health – the corporate entity that owns the Wanglaoji brand.
Fang was speaking at the Guangzhou Conference where the signing took place.
WALOVI said it would support overseas distributors through regional exclusivity arrangements, marketing assistance, and tiered incentives as it targets expansion into more than 60 additional markets, particularly along the Belt and Road network.
Wanglaoji Great Health Vice President Ye Jizeng added that going global goes beyond simply exporting products – it requires building a strong local presence.
Ye pointed to growing global demand for healthier food and beverages, adding that WALOVI is positioning itself as a natural plant-based beverage brand to meet this need.
Food-as-medicine trend gains momentum
Food-as-medicine is gaining fast traction in Asia, with it being identified as one of the three key areas that will drive growth in the food and drink space.
“Eastern health wisdom”, rooted in TCM, holds that food and medicine originate from the same source.
“In TCM, medicine and food are of the same origin. If they are complementary and mutually used, there is no strict boundary between medicine and food. It is a remarkable feature of TCM to combine the two to maintain health,” wrote researchers in Chinese Herbal Medicines.
They added that this concept can promote cross-culture communication between East and West.
The strategy aligns with China’s broader push to globalise its food-as-medicine philosophy (食疗) and position TCM-based wellness as a mainstream health trend.
Chinese policymakers have increasingly backed the food-medicine and wellness sector through initiatives such as the Healthy China 2030 policy and the 14th Five-Year Plan for TCM development.
This push merges ancient dietary therapy with modern nutrition to tackle chronic disease and tap into the booming global health food market.
In recent years, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have attached great importance to the development of food-medicine, nutrition and health industry.
The Chinese government issued the 14th Five-Year-Plan for the Development of TCM in 2022, which includes enriching the supply of TCM health products and expanding the TCM tourism market.
While China is leading in this space, other regions have embraced the food-as medicine trend.
Japan’s Okinawa Ginger Syrup is betting on rising demand for traditional food-as-medicine solutions as it seeks expansion into Europe and Asia.
Meanwhile, Thai food giant CP Foods has developed a dedicated platform to support consumers making healthier food choices towards preventative healthcare.
