<p>As protests continue in Thailand, activists in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/police-in-thailand-investigate-media-coverage-over-protests-336354">Thailand</a>, Hong Kong and Taiwan critical of President Xi's authoritarian government in China have formed an online movement dubbed the "Milk Tea Alliance".</p>

<p>The alliance has been named due to their shared love for sugary drink. Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong had recently tweeted in support of Thai protesters amid anti-government protests in Thailand over the newly formed online alliance.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">When the authorities banned the website in Thailand, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MilkTeaAliance?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MilkTeaAliance</a> will help to spread the petition! I have sign on it already. Let us say no to political censorship. <a href="https://t.co/GOqs5FGkG2">https://t.co/GOqs5FGkG2</a></p>
— Joshua Wong 黃之鋒 😷 (@joshuawongcf) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshuawongcf/status/1317873470038896640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>"Their determination for #Thailanddemocracy cannot be deterred," he said.</p>

<p>Several online memes of the three-fingered salute have spread online ensuring worldwide coverage for the movement with the #MilkTeaAlliance hashtag trending on social media.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Really? And do you know?😊<br />
<br />
HONGKONG IS A COUNTRY<br />
TAIWAN IS A COUNTRY <a href="https://t.co/uCmUGCr3id">https://t.co/uCmUGCr3id</a></p>
— Kadeart 🍄 lll (@kadeart) <a href="https://twitter.com/kadeart/status/1317435204831571968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>In fact, the three-fingered salute from "The Hunger Games" movies has become the symbol of protesters in Thailand as demonstrators comprising of a large number of students have been demanding political reforms and curbs on monarchy's power.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Francis, a student activist who is also a member of the milk tea alliance accused of violence against the Queen from royal motorcade incident. He is facing life imprisonment. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/16%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%B8%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%B2%E0%B9%84%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%8A%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%84%E0%B9%8C?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#16ตุลาไปราชประสงค์</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MilkTeaAliance?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MilkTeaAliance</a> <a href="https://t.co/11Mog5qUuT">https://t.co/11Mog5qUuT</a></p>
— Jiraporn Kuhakan (@KuhakanJiraporn) <a href="https://twitter.com/KuhakanJiraporn/status/1317007776313274370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>The salute in Thailand had first emerged in 2014 as a signal of defiance against the military regime which had seized power in a coup.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HongKongStandsWithThailand?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HongKongStandsWithThailand</a> delivering all the strength to the Thai protestors virtually!! สู้ๆนะค่ะ!! 🙏💖 <a href="https://t.co/i5d6N4Zw3i">https://t.co/i5d6N4Zw3i</a></p>
— nessa ❤︎ (@neverloseurstar) <a href="https://twitter.com/neverloseurstar/status/1318048868194349056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Protesters have been demanding coup leader, former army chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down amid growing corruption and lack of reforms in the country.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The protesters have borrowed openly from Hong Kong demonstrators where thousands of anti-China protesters mainly students had taken to the streets earlier this year to protest against the national security law imposed by China.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The protests in Hong Kong had started last year as demonstrators called for greater democracy and transparency in government even as Hong Kong officials crackdown on the protesters.</p>

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As protests continue in Thailand, activists in Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan critical of President Xi's authoritarian government in China have formed an online movement dubbed the "Milk Tea Alliance".

As protests continue in Thailand, activists in Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan critical of President Xi's authoritarian government in China have formed an online movement dubbed the "Milk Tea Alliance". The alliance has been named due to their shared love for sugary drink. Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong had recently tweeted in support of Thai protesters amid anti-government protests in Thailand over the newly formed online alliance. When the authorities banned the website in Thailand, #MilkTeaAliance will help to spread the petition! I have sign on it already. Let us say no to political censorship. https://t.co/GOqs5FGkG2 — Joshua Wong 黃之鋒 😷 (@joshuawongcf) October 18, 2020 × "Their determination for #Thailanddemocracy cannot be deterred," he said. Several online memes of the three-fingered salute have spread online ensuring worldwide coverage for the movement with the #MilkTeaAlliance hashtag trending on social media. Really? And do you know?😊 HONGKONG IS A COUNTRY TAIWAN IS A COUNTRY https://t.co/uCmUGCr3id — Kadeart 🍄 lll (@kadeart) October 17, 2020 × In fact, the three-fingered salute from "The Hunger Games" movies has become the symbol of protesters in Thailand as demonstrators comprising of a large number of students have been demanding political reforms and curbs on monarchy's power. Francis, a student activist who is also a member of the milk tea alliance accused of violence against the Queen from royal motorcade incident. He is facing life imprisonment. #16ตุลาไปราชประสงค์ #MilkTeaAliance https://t.co/11Mog5qUuT — Jiraporn Kuhakan (@KuhakanJiraporn) October 16, 2020 × The salute in Thailand had first emerged in 2014 as a signal of defiance against the military regime which had seized power in a coup. #HongKongStandsWithThailand delivering all the strength to the Thai protestors virtually!! สู้ๆนะค่ะ!! 🙏💖 https://t.co/i5d6N4Zw3i — nessa ❤︎ (@neverloseurstar) October 19, 2020 × Protesters have been demanding coup leader, former army chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down amid growing corruption and lack of reforms in the country. The protesters have borrowed openly from Hong Kong demonstrators where thousands of anti-China protesters mainly students had taken to the streets earlier this year to protest against the national security law imposed by China. The protests in Hong Kong had started last year as demonstrators called for greater democracy and transparency in government even as Hong Kong officials crackdown on the protesters.

#MilkTeaAlliance makes anti-China wave in Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan

Some cities are fuelled by coffee. In Hong Kong, it&#39;s milk tea that keeps things running, a potent nostalgia-infused caffeine hit, with fierce competition to brew the best in town.<br />
<br />
There are thousands of restaurants offering the full gamut of international cuisines, but the city&#39;s no-frills diner-style cafes, some of them decades old, remain perennial favourites with locals&nbsp;and still do a roaring trade.<br />
<br />
Known in Cantonese as &quot;cha chaan tengs&quot; or &quot;tea restaurants&quot; they serve up cheap local favourites, from fried egg sandwiches and buttery French toast to noodle soups and macaroni.<br />
<br />
The standard accompaniment is a milk tea, or &quot;lai cha&quot;, a tangy, deep-tan brew made from blends of black tea strained repeatedly for strength, then mixed with condensed or evaporated milk.<br />
<br />
The city gulps down around 2.5 million cups a day.<br />
<br />
At family-run tea shop Lan Fong Yuen, on a hilly market street in Hong Kong&#39;s Central district, business shows no sign of slowing after 60 years.<br />
<br />
Owner Lam Chun-chung says the no-fuss nature of Hong Kong&#39;s tea restaurants plays a big role in their popularity in a fast-paced city.<br />
<br />
&quot;People are always in a rush. Having a quick bite with milk tea is fast and convenient,&quot; says Lam, who adds that his cafe has much more character than the growing number of sterile coffee shops.<br />
<br />
&quot;We represent the grassroots. When you are here you feel a sense of community,&quot; he says.<br />
<br />
Customers sit around shared wooden tables, many stopping for just 10 minutes to grab a quick breakfast or mid-morning boost.<br />
<br />
A tea master juggles steaming pots on an electric stove, straining the hot brews through long cloth sieves, a key utensil for any serious Hong Kong &quot;lai cha&quot; joint.<br />
<br />
The sock-like strainer has lent Hong Kong milk tea one of its nicknames: &quot;stocking milk tea&quot;.<br />
<br />
At this cafe, tea is strained seven times to intensify the flavour.<br />
<br />
Lam taught the current tea master his skills and still drinks a cup or two of milk tea each day. It is an addiction, he says, but also a way to monitor standards.<br />
<br />
Milk tea is a local institution and has even made it onto an official list of the city&#39;s &quot;intangible cultural heritage&quot;. Hong Kong&#39;s Association of Coffee and Tea says it is also building a global fanbase.<br />
<br />
The association has been running Hong Kong milk tea contests worldwide for the past seven years, and they are growing.<br />
<br />
Earlier this month, competitors from Hong Kong, mainland China, Canada and Australia all competed for the &quot;KamCha&quot; or &quot;Golden Cup&quot; award in the association&#39;s largest tea competition, on home turf.<br />
<br />
Local contestant Chen Chi-ping, 44, emerged victorious,&nbsp; he has been making milk tea in Hong Kong &quot;cha chaan tengs&quot; for 22 years.<br />
<br />
&quot;Every detail has to be strictly precise, the heat of the stove, the water temperature,&quot; he says.<br />
<br />
The fragrance and potency, as well as the thick consistency, make Hong Kong-style milk tea unique, Chen adds.<br />
<br />
It has flowed through the city&#39;s arteries for more than half a century, according to association chairman Simon Wong, who tells how it was first served on Hong Kong&#39;s docks to sailors and labourers, an earthy adaptation of the weaker version made with fresh milk by the colonial British who governed at that time.<br />
<br />
&quot;Hong Kong people wanted something with more punch. So we invented this type of brewing,&quot; Wong says. The strength of the tea and the canned milk made it value for money, few ordinary Hong Kongers at that time could afford fresh milk.<br />
<br />
Wong&#39;s father, a tea trader, was a proponent of the new concoction, setting up one of the first &quot;cha chaan tengs&quot; in Hong Kong, which still exists today.<br />
<br />
Mainland China has now also developed a taste for Hong Kong-style milk tea, and immigrant communities across the world are introducing it to new countries, says Wong.<br />
<br />
The winning formula? Both tea champion Chen and cafe owner Lam agree, it is the passion to make a great cuppa.<br />
<br />
&quot;The most important thing is to put your heart into it,&quot; says Chen.<br />
<br />
(AFP)

When it comes to milk tea, the city's decades-old cafes remain perennial favourites with locals?and still do a roaring trade

Some cities are fuelled by coffee. In Hong Kong, it's milk tea that keeps things running, a potent nostalgia-infused caffeine hit, with fierce competition to brew the best in town. There are thousands of restaurants offering the full gamut of international cuisines, but the city's no-frills diner-style cafes, some of them decades old, remain perennial favourites with locals and still do a roaring trade. Known in Cantonese as "cha chaan tengs" or "tea restaurants" they serve up cheap local favourites, from fried egg sandwiches and buttery French toast to noodle soups and macaroni. The standard accompaniment is a milk tea, or "lai cha", a tangy, deep-tan brew made from blends of black tea strained repeatedly for strength, then mixed with condensed or evaporated milk. The city gulps down around 2.5 million cups a day. At family-run tea shop Lan Fong Yuen, on a hilly market street in Hong Kong's Central district, business shows no sign of slowing after 60 years. Owner Lam Chun-chung says the no-fuss nature of Hong Kong's tea restaurants plays a big role in their popularity in a fast-paced city. "People are always in a rush. Having a quick bite with milk tea is fast and convenient," says Lam, who adds that his cafe has much more character than the growing number of sterile coffee shops. "We represent the grassroots. When you are here you feel a sense of community," he says. Customers sit around shared wooden tables, many stopping for just 10 minutes to grab a quick breakfast or mid-morning boost. A tea master juggles steaming pots on an electric stove, straining the hot brews through long cloth sieves, a key utensil for any serious Hong Kong "lai cha" joint. The sock-like strainer has lent Hong Kong milk tea one of its nicknames: "stocking milk tea". At this cafe, tea is strained seven times to intensify the flavour. Lam taught the current tea master his skills and still drinks a cup or two of milk tea each day. It is an addiction, he says, but also a way to monitor standards. Milk tea is a local institution and has even made it onto an official list of the city's "intangible cultural heritage". Hong Kong's Association of Coffee and Tea says it is also building a global fanbase. The association has been running Hong Kong milk tea contests worldwide for the past seven years, and they are growing. Earlier this month, competitors from Hong Kong, mainland China, Canada and Australia all competed for the "KamCha" or "Golden Cup" award in the association's largest tea competition, on home turf. Local contestant Chen Chi-ping, 44, emerged victorious, he has been making milk tea in Hong Kong "cha chaan tengs" for 22 years. "Every detail has to be strictly precise, the heat of the stove, the water temperature," he says. The fragrance and potency, as well as the thick consistency, make Hong Kong-style milk tea unique, Chen adds. It has flowed through the city's arteries for more than half a century, according to association chairman Simon Wong, who tells how it was first served on Hong Kong's docks to sailors and labourers, an earthy adaptation of the weaker version made with fresh milk by the colonial British who governed at that time. "Hong Kong people wanted something with more punch. So we invented this type of brewing," Wong says. The strength of the tea and the canned milk made it value for money, few ordinary Hong Kongers at that time could afford fresh milk. Wong's father, a tea trader, was a proponent of the new concoction, setting up one of the first "cha chaan tengs" in Hong Kong, which still exists today. Mainland China has now also developed a taste for Hong Kong-style milk tea, and immigrant communities across the world are introducing it to new countries, says Wong. The winning formula? Both tea champion Chen and cafe owner Lam agree, it is the passion to make a great cuppa. "The most important thing is to put your heart into it," says Chen. (AFP)

Milk tea: The fuel for Hong Kong's engine

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#MilkTeaAlliance makes anti-China wave in Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan

Milk tea: The fuel for Hong Kong's engine