Cheers! Chinese baijiu is now an official English name
Chinese baijiu, which has a history of more than 2,000 years, is one of the world's top six distilled spirits along with brandy, whisky, vodka, rum and gin.
China has adopted "Chinese baijiu" as the official English name for its traditional distilled liquor, and the name will be applied in the 2021 Import and Export Tariff Code by China Customs, the China Alcoholic Drinks Association announced yesterday.
The association said the term “Chinese baijiu” is more popular and common than “Chinese distilled spirits” among English users. Other names once used included Chinese spirits and Chinese liquor.
Since 2010, baijiu or baijiu (liquor) has been widely used in international academic journals, and also in global competitions such as the Masters of Wine or the World's Best Sommelier.
In 2015, baijiu enthusiasts even picked August 9 as World Baijiu Day, as the date has a similar pronunciation to baijiu.
Chinese baijiu, which has a history of more than 2,000 years, is one of they world's top six distilled spirits, along with brandy, whisky, vodka, rum and gin. Its consumption is about one-third of the world's distilled spirits. The most famous Chinese baijiu is Moutai.
The new term was trending on Weibo as many people welcomed the decision.
Many Weibo users joked that if it had been changed to pinyin earlier, they wouldn't have needed to struggle with their English tests in school.
Chinese netizens joked that if it had been changed to pinyin earlier, they wouldn't have needed to struggle with their English tests in school.
Some online comments say the change is the reflection of China's growing confidence in traditional culture. They hope to see more Chinese vocabulary in English.
A Twitter user calls for an emoji for baijiu.
A Twitter user suggests further simplifying the name.
