Farmers spread freshly picked tea leaves out in the sun to wither. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Fujian province released the 2026 edition of its integrated tea industry standard system on March 23, marking China's first comprehensive regulatory framework linking tea culture, industry, and technology. The system comprises four primary and 24 secondary subsystems, covering a total of 836 standards.

The framework aims to modernize Fujian's tea sector by filling regulatory gaps in emerging fields such as digital tea industry management, new-style tea beverages, and green low-carbon production. A primary feature of the system is the cross-Strait common standards sub-sector, which includes 14 joint standards developed by Fujian province and Taiwan.

Fujian, known as the birthplace of jasmine, oolong, black, and white teas, leads China in both tea variety and export volume. By March 2025, ecological tea gardens accounted for 84 percent of the province's total planting area.

A 5G-powered smart super factory of Fujian Bama Tea. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The new standards, jointly developed by the Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Fujian Institute of Standardization, and Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, seek to harness culture to boost industrial growth while ensuring quality and safety. By integrating the primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors, the 2026 system provides a technical roadmap for Fujian's transition toward a high-tech, sustainable tea economy that maintains its position as a global industry leader.