Chagee faces boycott ahead of Vietnam opening

Chinese milk tea brand Chagee is facing criticism for apparently adopting the ‘nine-dash line’ in its digital app while it prepares to launch in Vietnam.

According to local reports, Vietnamese customers are calling for a boycott of Chagee after learning that the company used a map with the controversial nine-dash line.

In a photo recently circulated on Vietnamese social media, an account using a Chagee logo as its image responded impolitely to a customer’s statement that they wanted to boycott the company over the line’s adoption, saying: “Chagee does not lack friends as customers”. We cannot ascertain if the responses are genuine or not but has been advised that multiple accounts are pretending to be Chagee to stir controversy and debate.

Chagee has not officially responded to the incident yet.

The “nine-dash line” or “U-shaped line” is a boundary line drawn by China on a map to illustrate its sovereignty claim over the majority of the East Sea, considered by Vietnam as a grave violation of its territorial sovereignty.

The issue seems to cause significant damage to Chagee’s image and reputation. Le Minh Vu, managing partner at FnB Academy, told Vietnamese newspaper Tuoi Tre (Youth) that “Chagee should withdraw from the Vietnamese market due to issues unrelated to products or services – things that can be fixed and corrected”.

Chagee was founded in 2017 in Shanghai, China, and has since expanded rapidly throughout Southeast Asia, with more than 5000 locations.

The brand intends to open its first store in Vietnam, with a prime position in Ho Chi Minh City’s CBD in District 1.