Moutai aims high for global reach

"Moutai will get more recognition from Western consumers when it allows them to also get a taste of the rich Chinese culture behind the brand."

But Yi warned that Chinese liquor producers did not currently have the international marketing capability and would be greatly restricted if they relied too much on foreign distributors.

In the market at home, although Moutai enjoys a high degree of recognition and popularity, its image has been tainted by being associated with lavish lifestyles, including that of government hospitality.

The price of a 500 ml bottle of ordinary Moutai liquor is more than 1,500 yuan after it saw a series of recent price rises. During the Spring Festival, the price of a bottle rose to 2,300 yuan, almost the basic monthly salary of a production worker.

But Li Zhanshu, Party chief of Guizhou province, where the Moutai company is located, argued the high price of the drink was due to the marketing strategy.

"The public and government are both consumers in the market. There is demand from the government and we should not oppose such demand," Li told a news briefing on Wednesday during the National People's Congress session.

He added that if Moutai was banned in government banquets, some places might offer Chateau Lafite Rothschild instead, an imported French wine that is even more expensive.

A prospective buyer takes a closer look at a vintage bottle of Moutai during an auction in Nanchang, Jiangxi province last year. Hu Guolin / for China Daily