The Importance Of Xi's 'Tea' Diplomacy

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is known for his love for tea. He has hosted many delicate and elaborate tea ceremonies for foreign leaders during their visits to China.

Today, Trump joined Xi at a tea ceremony in the Communist Party’s leadership compound, Zhongnanhai — where only a few American leaders have visited.

China is proud of its thousands of years of tea cultivation and hundreds of varieties of tea. For Chinese diplomats, tea embodies traditional Chinese culture and serving tea to a foreign leader is a show of respect, sincerity and courtesy.

Trump is known for his love of Diet Coke. Still, the optics may matter more than the actual sipping, as the two men try to brew better US-China relations.

Here are some foreign leaders that Xi has had tea with in previous years:

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping attend a tea ceremony in Beijing's Zhongnanhai on May 16, 2024.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron attend a tea ceremony at the Guangdong governor's residence in Guangzhou on April 7, 2023.

Then-UK Prime Minister Theresa May and Chinese leader Xi Jinping attended a tea ceremony at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing on February 1, 2018.

Then-US President Barack Obama and Chinese leader Xi Jinping drank tea at West Lake State Guest House in Hangzhou, in eastern China's Zhejiang province, on September 3, 2016.