Despite preparing to enter Vietnam, Chagee, a popular Chinese milk tea chain, is facing a wave of calls for a boycott from the Vietnamese online community as its app displays a map suspected of containing China's illegal 'nine-dash line.' 

Vietnamese social media users shared that they downloaded the app to claim free milk tea ahead of the brand's grand opening in Vietnam. However, they soon discovered a map featuring dashed lines resembling the 'nine-dash line,' which China unlawfully uses to assert sovereignty over a large part of the East Vietnam Sea.

At present, the company's app is no longer available for download from app stores in Vietnam.

Since Friday evening, posts on consumer forums and groups on social media in Vietnam have called for a boycott of Chagee, even though the company has not yet opened any store in the Southeast Asian country. 

The official Facebook page of Chagee Vietnam is flooded with thousands of angry comments and reactions.

Vietnamese netizens have expressed their outrage at all posts uploaded on the Chagee Vietnam page since June 2024.

As of now, Chagee Vietnam has not provided any official response to the incident.

According to experts in the food and beverage industry, the incident will certainly cause significant damage to Chagee’s brand image, extending beyond just business concerns.

Chagee should withdraw from the Vietnamese market due to issues unrelated to products or services -- things that can be fixed and corrected, Le Minh Vu, managing partner at FnB Academy, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

When doing business in Vietnam, any individual or organization must comply with the law and respect Vietnam. Otherwise, they should have their business licenses revoked, said Vu.

Chagee Vietnam Co. Ltd. was established last month, with Nguyen Anh Duy serving as the legal representative. The company is primarily registered in the restaurant and mobile food service sector.

Chagee, founded in 2017 in Yunnan, China, has over 6,000 stores globally, specifically in China, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the U.S..

The brand positions itself as the 'Starbucks of the East' and has ambitious plans for international growth.

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