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Coca-Cola’s path in China tracks the nation's economic transformation: First sold in 1927, banned during the Communist era, then returned in 1979 as China opened its markets.
A story of global business shaped by political upheaval and cultural change.
In 1927, Coca-Cola expanded into China.
The company faced an immediate challenge of translating their brand name into Mandarin Chinese.
Their first attempt, "Ke-kou-ke-la," translated to "bite the wax tadpole" in some dialects and "female horse stuffed with wax" in others.
They were going to need a new name to make it work.
They finally came up with "Ke Kou Ke Le" — meaning "tasty fun" in Mandarin.
This new name preserved the brand's sound while conveying its intended message.
During World War II, Coca-Cola's President Robert Woodruff pledged to sell Coca-Cola to U.S. troops for five cents per bottle, regardless of location.
To fulfill this promise in China, where many American soldiers were stationed during the Japanese invasion, Coca-Cola built ten bottling plants across the country, from Shanghai to Chongqing.
Each Coca-Cola provided a familiar taste of the United States and helped spread the brand to the Chinese.
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In 1949, China's Communist Party under Mao Zedong took control of the country.
The new government rejected Western influences, including American businesses.
Coca-Cola, which had operated bottling plants across China, was banned nationwide.
The government viewed the drink as a symbol of American capitalism and imperialism.
The ban shuttered Coca-Cola's operations in the country completely.
Bottling plants ceased production, and the once-familiar red and white logo vanished from stores and streets.
This prohibition lasted for three long decades.
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In 1979, Deng Xiaoping led China away from isolation and toward international trade.
The return of Coca-Cola to Beijing that year signaled this shift.
After a 30-year absence, the American soft drink entered the Chinese market again.
Workers unloaded crates of bottles at Beijing's port, reestablishing a commercial link that had been severed during the Communist revolution.
The brand's reentry paved the way for other Western companies to follow.
After Coca-Cola's 1979 return to China, the company built its first bottling plant in Tianjin in 1981.
This plant was the first joint venture between a Western company and Chinese firms.
The following year, Coca-Cola opened a second plant in Shanghai, again partnering with local businesses.
In 1981, Pepsi also entered China's beverage market.
Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi launched aggressive expansion campaigns, targeting China's one billion potential consumers.
They translated their slogans into Mandarin, hired local celebrities, and developed drinks suited to Chinese tastes.
Where once tea dominated, Western soft drinks gained prominence in stores, restaurants, and vending machines across major cities.
Local brands like Wahaha and Tian Fu Cola emerged, while Japanese and Korean beverages carved out their own market segments.
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