Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan hosts German president’s wife for tea in Beijing

Peng Liyuan, China’s first lady, hosted Elke Buedenbender, the wife of German President Frank‑Walter Steinmeier, for a tea reception in Beijing on Friday. The gathering was framed as an effort to display Beijing’s soft power and to nurture closer bilateral ties.

According to Xinhua, Peng highlighted “rich cooperation” with Germany in sectors such as education and culture. She also voiced a hope that citizens of the two nations would “visit each other more often, continuously deepen mutual understanding and foster closer people‑to‑people bonds.”

The event underscores a diplomatic push to strengthen people‑to‑people connections alongside official state relations.