Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng speaks at a cultural event "Tea for Harmony: East Meets West in Music" held at the embassy in Washington on Friday evening. [Photo by Zhao Huanxin /chinadaily.com.cn]
With the aroma of oolong tea in the air and melodies drifting from the guzheng and piano, the Chinese Embassy in Washington transformed into a stage of cultural diplomacy on Friday, with its ambassador sharing not just the drink with guests, but also a Chinese history steeped in tea.
Speaking at the "Tea for Harmony: East Meets West in Music" reception on a summer evening, Ambassador Xie Feng delivered an ode to the "magical oriental leaves", which he described as embodying China's principles of modesty and respect for others. He highlighted how tea connects China with the world while reflecting its value of harmony in diversity.
For Xie, tea, along with its etiquette, symbolize values that extend beyond the teahouse and guide diplomacy: balance, equality and mutual respect.
"In a tea ceremony, it is important to ensure everyone tastes the same tea and every cup is served in a respectful manner," he said. "Underlying this is our belief that only with equality and respect can we achieve peaceful coexistence, and harmony brings prosperity to all."
Attending the event were more than 200 guests – Americans from various circles and diplomats in Washington, who have diverse taste for drinks.
Xie said coffee and tea are not incompatible with each other, and "both can perk you up and leave a sweet aftertaste."
"The United States is now the world's third-largest tea importer, while China has nearly 400 million coffee drinkers," he said. "This has again proved that it is entirely possible for different civilizations to draw on each other and flourish together."
Xie portrayed tea as a living cultural form, evolving with time and embraced by younger generations worldwide.
He pointed to the global popularity of Chinese brands like Heytea, Gong Cha and Chagee, and noted that new Chinese-style tea drinks now generate nearly $50 billion in market value.
"Sitting around a stove to brew tea is becoming a trendy way to connect with friends," he said.
Lin Kuang, researcher in Premodern Chinese Art History & Renaissance Art Studies at Marscloud Art Gallery in Virginia, introduces a painting believed to be a Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) art piece, to visitors at a cultural event "Tea for Harmony: East Meets West in Music" held at the embassy in Washington on Friday evening. The painting depicts a scholarly gathering where literati engaged in painting, tasting tea, and listening to guqin music. [Photo by Zhao Huanxin /chinadaily.com.cn]
The envoy invoked history to ground his appeal, recalling the 1784 voyage of the Empress of China, which returned from Guangzhou with a cargo of tea, marking the beginning of US-China trade.
He also cited late Chairman Mao Zedong's gift of Oolong tea from the Wuyi Mountains to US President Richard Nixon during his 1972 historic trip, describing tea as "a bond between Eastern and Western civilizations."
"Tea offers China's wisdom to solve the world's problems through a peaceful path, and bears witness to the history of China and the US ending estrangement and seeking win-win cooperation," the envoy said.
While tea may be his favorite topic, Xie also addressed matters that are not his "cup of tea": the tensions between the world's two largest economies.
He noted that China-US relations are at a "critical juncture" and warned against efforts to isolate or decouple the two societies.
"Neither a cold war nor a tariff war should be fought or could be won, and neither economic decoupling nor attempts to cut off people-to-people ties would find any support or ever succeed," he said.
Different countries and cultures need to pursue common development through mutual respect and seek common ground despite differences, so as to flourish together, he added.
In his speech, Xie recalled the phone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump a day before, their second since January.
"It is our hope that the US side will work with China in the same direction, follow through on the important consensus reached between the two presidents during their phone calls, roll back erroneous moves taken against China, and create the necessary conditions for bringing the relationship back to the right track," he said.
Friday's event, organized by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the embassy, also commemorated International Tea Day, which falls on May 21.
Zhongbei (Daisy) Wu and pianist Yao Lin perform guzheng and piano Duo at a cultural event "Tea for Harmony: East Meets West in Music" held at the embassy in Washington Friday evening. [Photo by Zhao Huanxin /chinadaily.com.cn]
It showcased a fusion of Chinese and Western musical traditions, opened with a guzheng solo, High Mountains and Flowing Water, symbolizing profound friendship, followed by performances of beloved pieces like Jasmine Flower and Fisherman's Song at Dusk.
Western operatic classics such as Puccini's O mio babbino caro and Gershwin's Summertime were also performed, with ensemble performances blending traditional Chinese instruments with violin and piano, culminating in The Brocade Zither, a musical rendering of Tang poetry.
huanxinzhao@chinadailyusa.com
