China is now the world leader in coffee shops
But the average Chinese person still guzzles much less than a typical American
![People pass a Starbucks store in Nanluoguxiang, a traditional alleyway in Beijing.](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240810_CNP001.jpg)
The historic city of Suzhou, about an hour’s drive from Shanghai, is criss-crossed with canals. Old whitewashed buildings line the banks. A century ago some of these would have been chaguans, or traditional teahouses, where locals gathered to discuss the news or conduct business. Today a visitor is more likely to find shops serving a different kind of beverage. There are dozens of Starbucks outlets in Suzhou, as well as other coffee sellers. Some even look like old chaguans—from the outside at least.
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This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Increasingly caffeinated”
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