Tea ceremony diplomacy

Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to China on May 20th, and more recently, US President Donald Trump's visit, were both met with tea receptions by President Xi Jinping. The context and manner of these meetings can be seen as a sign of the respect and cordiality shown by the host country's leader towards their guests.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) at a welcoming ceremony for Russian President Putin on May 20. Photo: AP

China boasts thousands of years of tea-growing experience and hundreds of different tea varieties. Therefore, for Chinese diplomats , tea embodies traditional culture, and offering tea to a foreign leader is a sign of respect, sincerity, and courtesy.

President Xi Jinping is a tea lover and is known for receiving visiting foreign leaders over a cup of tea. For example, President Xi has offered tea to US President Barack Obama in 2016, British Prime Minister Theresa May in 2018, and French President Emmanuel Macron in 2023.

During his recent visit to Beijing, President Trump was invited to visit the Secret Garden and attend a tea party inside the Zhongnanhai complex – an ancient palace complex built during the Jin Dynasty in the 12th century and often referred to as China's "White House." This is a place very few Americans are allowed to visit, and it was Trump's first time. He also toured and enjoyed tea at the Temple of Heaven – a World Heritage site.

Notably, Zhongnanhai is also where the Chinese leader hosted a tea party for President Putin in 2024. To demonstrate their cordiality, the two leaders removed their ties while chatting and drinking tea outdoors.

During the Russian President's visit to China on May 20th, the agenda included bilateral and international issues, and concluded with a cordial conversation between the two "old friends" over a cup of tea.

Putin's visit to Beijing will undoubtedly be highlighted because it comes just days after President Trump's visit to China. This event marks a rare post-Cold War occurrence: the leaders of both Washington and Moscow visiting a global superpower within a single week.

The consecutive visits to Beijing by leaders of two major powers that are fiercely opposed to each other politically, militarily, and economically have been lauded by Chinese state media as proof of the country's global standing in the context of an increasingly fragmented world order.

Graeme Smith, a senior research fellow in the Pacific Relations department at the Australian National University, believes China enjoys being the center of global attention and will exploit this to its advantage, targeting its domestic population. According to Smith, in a way, Xi Jinping is benefiting from the sentiments of both world leaders.

Speaking during talks with President Xi on May 20, President Putin affirmed that Russia-China relations have reached an "unprecedented level" and have become a model of substantive comprehensive partnership and strategic coordination despite the unstable global environment.

President Xi Jinping emphasized that over the 30 years since the establishment of the China-Russia Strategic Cooperation Partnership and the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between China and Russia, relations between the two countries have achieved remarkable progress thanks to continuous efforts to deepen mutual political trust and strategic cooperation, expand cooperation in various fields, and uphold international fairness and justice.

He praised the relationship with Russia as a factor that “brings calm amidst chaos.” He argued that the current international situation is “complex and unstable,” with the rise of “unilateral hegemony,” but peace, development, and cooperation remain the dominant global aspirations. Therefore, Xi called for “long-term strategic cooperation” with Russia to help build a “fairer and more equitable” global governance system.

DUC TRUNG

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/ngoai-giao-tra-dao-a205086.html