Hello– I am Ian Gibbs, Chairman of the International Tea Committee based in London. I am delighted and honoured to be given this opportunity to send my very best wishes to the global tea family as we enter the year of the snake. I would like to thank Ming Bian for inviting me to send this message and for their great work in promoting tea and I wish them continued success in 2025.
The second most popular drink on the planet after water, tea connects the world and is drunk and enjoyed by people in every country and culture. Tea therefore really can bring people together and through dialogue, which tea encourages, it can bring peace and friendship across the globe– an ambitious aim but essential today and hopefully the year of the snake will bring us closer to a more cooperative and friendly world through tea. We therefore have an opportunity and a duty to do what we can to promote tea and therefore, hopefully, peace
As we move from the Year of the Dragon to the Year of the Snake, it is so important that we remember to thank those who work so hard to produce our wonderful beverage which we and so many in the world enjoy. Another reason for us to encourage more people to drink tea.
I hope that the coming year will be a very happy, successful and peaceful one for everyone and I send my very best wishes to the Chinese tea family for a very happy Year of the Snake and I wish Ming Bian every success in 2025 as they continue to work so hard in support of our great tea industry.
Xie xie
大家好，我是伊恩·吉布斯，国际茶委员会主席。我很荣幸能借此机会向全球茶界致以最诚挚的祝福，迎接蛇年。我要感谢茗边邀请我发送这封信，并感谢他们为推广茶文化所做的杰出工作，祝他们在2025年继续取得成功。
继水之后，茶是全球第二受欢迎的饮品，它连接着世界各地的人们，无论国界文化如何，人们都会饮用和享受。因此，茶确实能够拉近人们的距离，通过茶所倡导的对话，茶能促进全球和平与友谊——这是一个雄心勃勃的目标，但却是当今所必需的，希望蛇年能通过茶让我们更加接近一个更加合作友好的世界。因此，我们有机会也有责任尽己所能推广茶，从而希望促进和平。
随着龙年到蛇年的过渡，我们应当记住要感谢那些辛勤工作的人，他们为我们和世界上许多人都喜欢的美味饮品做出了贡献。这也是鼓励更多人喝茶的原因之一。
希望来年大家都能幸福、成功、平安，向中国茶人送上最美好的祝福，祝茗边在2025年一切顺利，继续为我们的伟大的茶叶产业辛勤工作。
谢谢
（文字根据伊恩·吉布斯主席视频整理）
