Soft power on display as China’s first lady Peng Liyuan hosts German counterpart

Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan hosted her German counterpart, Elke Buedenbender, in Beijing on Friday for a tea reception in a bid to showcase Beijing’s soft power and foster closer bilateral ties.

Peng stressed the rich cooperation with Germany in areas including education and culture, according to official news agency Xinhua.

She also expressed hope that people from the two countries would “visit each other more often, continuously deepen mutual understanding and foster closer people-to-people bonds”, the report said.

Peng praised Buedenbender’s long-standing dedication to protecting the rights and interests of women and children, it added.

In response, Buedenbender expressed her willingness to deepen cooperation on issues affecting women and children and to strengthen people-to-people ties.

The pair met as their husbands, Chinese President Xi Jinping and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, held talks at the Great Hall of the People, during which the Chinese leader called on Germany to pursue a “rational, pragmatic and friendly” policy towards Beijing.

According to a tally by the South China Morning Post, the Chinese leader has conducted far fewer overseas state visits this year than in previous years. He has instead opted to welcome a steady stream of foreign leaders to Beijing – seen as a sign of a shift towards a “home-court” model of diplomacy.

Peng has largely stayed out of the media spotlight in recent years, hosting only a handful of foreign guests in Beijing. She has used her rare appearances to advocate for health, welfare and cultural exchanges.

In January, Peng had tea with Kim Hea-kyung, wife of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. Three months later, the Chinese first lady accompanied Ngo Phuong Ly, wife of Vietnamese President To Lam, to the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing.

In May, Peng visited the Beijing Dance Academy, China’s most prestigious dance school, together with Tamara Vucic, wife of former Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic.

Peng also accompanied Xi on his September state visit to Washington, where her style and artistic talents drew global attention and were widely seen as a way to showcase China’s soft power to the American public.

On Friday, Peng chose a navy blue Chinese-style gown with crisp white piping and a glittering brooch. Photos released by Xinhua showed Buedenbender wearing a midi dress in red – a colour associated with good fortune in Chinese culture.

The tea reception decorations featured traditional Chinese floral arrangements of pink peonies and winter berries in sky-blue porcelain vases.

The German president and his wife were in Beijing on the final leg of their five-day state visit to China, the first such trip since 2018. During their stay in Anhui province, they visited the historic village of Hongcun and hiked in Huangshan, a Unesco heritage site. They also visited the Volkswagen research and development centre in Hefei, the provincial capital.

Xi and Peng visited Germany in 2017. During that trip, Xi and then German chancellor Angela Merkel attended the opening of a panda enclosure at the Berlin Zoo. Xi and Peng also watched a football match between Chinese and German youth.