Sweet, milky and colourful — bubble tea is wildly popular in China, where people sipping through straws from large plastic cups is a common sight in high streets and shopping malls across the country. China’s bubble tea industry has flourished in recent years, with countless brands now accounting for an estimated half million shops across the country. Sweet, milky and colourful — bubble tea is wildly popular in China, where people sipping through straws from large plastic cups is a common sight in high streets and shopping malls across the country. China’s bubble tea industry has flourished in recent years, with countless brands now accounting for an estimated half million shops across the country.