President Xi Jinping and Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, have a tea chat at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, on October 31, 2022. (Photo: Xinhua)
President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Monday had a chat over tea with Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
The two leaders talked about traditional friendship and development prospects between the two parties and countries.
This is not the first time they had a chat over tea.
Xi Jinping and Nguyen Phu Trong have a tea chat after their talks in Beijing on January 12, 2017. (Photo: Xinhua)
On January 12, 2017, Xi also hosted a chat over tea with the visiting CPV chief at the Great Hall of the People.
They talked about the tea customs and traditions that the two countries share. Xi discussed the etymology of the Chinese character (茶) for tea, which is formed with Chinese character people (人) between grass (艹) and trees (木).
"Today, we had a heart-to-heart discussion over tea. Let's consolidate and develop China-Vietnam relations," Xi said.
Xi Jinping and Nguyen Phu Trong have a tea chat after their talks in Beijing on January 12, 2017. (Photo: Xinhua)
In November that year, Xi paid a state visit to Vietnam, his second visit to the country as China’s head of state and top CPC leader. During the visit, Xi also had a chat over tea with Trong at the Ho Chi Minh stilt house in Hanoi. The space for bilateral cooperation and cultural exchanges were among their topics.
Xi Jinping and Nguyen Phu Trong meet at the former residence of late Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi, Vietnam, on November 13, 2017.
Tea is one of three major drinks in the world, and is produced in more than 60 countries and regions and enjoyed by over 2 billion people.
As a healthy drink that originated in China and is popular around the world, tea serves as a cultural ambassador for the nation.
(Compiled by Huang Jingjing; Sources: Xinhua, CCTV)