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Reporter of China Business Network: Huang Hai Editor of China Business Network: Zhang Haini

In the second year after the arrival of El Nino, extreme weather was even more severe than last year. In the summer, high temperature heat waves hit one after another, and the temperature in many places hit record highs.

In this "hottest" summer in history, the "one yuan water" that has returned, the "half-price tea" that can be seen everywhere, the widely advertised "0 calories"... a series of consumption phenomena tell the same story - this year's "water war" is more intense than ever, especially in the sugar-free beverage track.

"Referring to the development experience of the Japanese beverage market since 1985, we have observed that the continued growth of sugar-free and low-sugar products has not replaced the original share of sugary beverages, but has opened up incremental markets, thereby pushing the overall beverage market to a new stage of development. China's sugar-free beverage market may be in a similar growth trend." Recently, Tetsuho Kikuchi, managing director of Suntory (China) Investment Co., Ltd., said in an exclusive interview with a reporter from the "Daily Economic News".

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Suntory's entry into China, and also the 17th year that Tetsuho Kikuchi has worked in China. This is the first time that Tetsuho Kikuchi has accepted an interview with a financial media. Talking about the recent intensified competition in the beverage industry, Tetsuho Kikuchi feels that this is an opportunity for Suntory.

"This year is undoubtedly a year of relatively fierce competition. There are many new brands entering the market, and the number of SKUs (inventory units of measurement) has also increased significantly. But we believe that price factors are not the decisive factors in market competition... Suntory is optimistic about the growth trend and future space of the Chinese beverage market. We will very firmly advance the full beverage category strategy and continue to cultivate our own brands." said Tetsuho Kikuchi.