News

Participation in China Tea Co., Ltd. with the Adoption of China’s Mixed Ownership System^*

Sep. 11, 2017

Mitsui & Co., Principal Investments Ltd. ("MCPI", Head Office: Tokyo, President and CEO: Naoki Nakata), an investment business subsidiary of Mitsui & Co., Ltd. ("Mitsui", Head Office: Tokyo, President and CEO: Tatsuo Yasunaga), has been contracted by Mitsui to provide support services (including administrative support from investment assessment to investment execution, post-investment monitoring, and the establishment of a governance structure) in connection with Mitsui’s equity participation in China Tea Co., Ltd. ("China Tea"), which will adopt China’s mixed ownership system. China Tea is a subsidiary of the COFCO Group ("COFCO").

Operating mainly in Fujian, Yunnan, and Hunan provinces, China Tea is a leading manufacturer and seller of tea. It was selected by the Chinese government for transformation into the mixed ownership system with the aim of improving management efficiency through the introduction of private sector capital.

This will be a joint initiative with HOPU Investments ("HOPU"), one of China’s top private equity firms. By combining HOPU’s extensive knowledge of and track record in corporate investment in China with Mitsui’s and MCPI’s global networks and management improvement capabilities, Mitsui and MCPI will provide extensive support to China Tea to improve its management efficiency and achieve further growth and development.