Electronic cigarettes were invented about a decade ago by a Chinese medical researcher and the country supplies nearly all global demand.

Puffing on the devices, or vaping, is surging worldwide, but it forms only a tiny part of China's 1.2 trillion yuan ($200 billion) cigarette business.

Now, rising public awareness about the hazards of smoking, coupled with China's hardening stance on smoking in public, is opening up an opportunity for e-cigarettes to make inroads into the world's biggest tobacco market.