一叶知千年清茗酬知音

A green leaf that spans the ages A cup of tea shared with friends

——谢锋大使在“茶和天下 乐贯东西”·雅集暨“你好！中国”旅游推介活动上的致辞

——Remarks by H.E. Ambassador Xie Feng at the “Tea for Harmony: East Meets West in Music” & “Nihao! China” Tourism Promotion Event

尊敬的各位来宾，

女士们，先生们，朋友们：

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear friends,

“正好清明连谷雨，一杯香茗坐其间。”进入谷雨时节，暮春到、夏将至，既是雨生百谷、万物逢时的农耕劳作季，也是“并手摘芳烟、香气出篱笆”的采茶品鲜时。很高兴再次与华盛顿“使馆系列”音乐文化组织合作，与各位茶友围桌品茗，以乐寄情，以茶论道，随氤氲茶香观中国、看世界。

“After Pure Brightness comes Grain Rain, the perfect time for a cup of fragrant tea.” This line comes from an ancient Chinese poem. Both Pure Brightness and Grain Rain are spring solar terms in China’s traditional calendar, echoing the rhythm of the changing seasons. We are now in the Grain Rain season, as spring gradually gives way to summer. This is the season of plowing when rain nourishes allcrops, as we just saw this afternoon,and also a time when tea leaves are at their most tender and green, perfect for a fresh brew. It gives us great delight to partner with the Embassy Series again, and welcome tea lovers old and new. Let us sip tea to elegant music, and take a glimpse of China and the world through tea.

茶韵悠长，承载中国传统文化的思想智慧。中国是茶的故乡、茶文化发祥地。从山间到舌尖，从“琴棋书画诗酒花茶”的人生“八雅”，到“柴米油盐酱醋茶”的人间烟火，小小的东方树叶联结起源远流长、生生不息的中华文脉。

Tea embodies the wisdom of traditional Chinese culture.China is the birthplace of tea and tea culture. Alongside the guqin, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine, and flowers, tea is regarded as one of the eight elegant pastimes of ancient scholars. For ordinary households, it is also a daily necessity, together with firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.

“茶”字拆开，就是“人在草木间”，习近平主席的妙解，道出了中华文化“道法自然”的真谛。育茶采制，讲究应时取宜、守则和谐的自然之法；沏茶闻香，以达清廉为美、致清导和的净心之效；品茶赏味，追求宁静致远、精行俭德的君子之风；敬茶礼待，体现亲善尊重、谦和礼敬的处事之道。一叶见方寸，一茶现万千，在一冲一泡间、一杯一盏中，古老的东方智慧具象化为看得见的体验、品得出的真味。

In this small Eastern tea leaf flows the enduring spirit of Chinese civilization. As President Xi Jinping beautifully interpreted, the Chinese character for tea,茶, is composed of three parts: grass at the top, humans in the middle, and trees at the bottom, thus illustrating the Chinese value of harmony between humanity and nature. In the cultivation and processing of tea, one needs to move with the times and follow the laws of nature. In brewing tea and enjoying its aroma, one needs to purify the heart and calm the mind. In sipping tea and savoring its taste, one needs to seek refinement and cultivate a noble character. And in serving tea to others, one needs to show respect, sincerity, and courtesy. So each small tea leaf is a gateway to profound Chinese philosophy, and in every step of a tea ceremony, ancient Eastern wisdom can be seen, savored, and experienced.

刚刚，中美艺术家们为大家展示了茶艺、行香、插花和挂画，这正是宋代的“生活四艺”。茶艺“击拂成沫”的韵味，插花“疏密有致”的意趣，行香与挂画共同营造的氛围感，让大家近距离感受到中国文化的独特审美和价值观。

Just now, artists from both China and the United States showcased the ancient “Four Arts of Life”, namely, tea ceremony,incense burning, flower arrangement, and the display of hanging scroll paintings, bringing us an immersive experience of unique Chinese aesthetics and cultural values.

茶园叠翠，蕴含中国高质量发展的动能密码。中国是全球最大茶叶生产国和消费国，2025年茶产业链规模超1万亿元人民币。从一片鲜叶、一杯好茶到一方经济，既是“绿水青山就是金山银山”的生动诠释，也是因地制宜发展新质生产力的绿色实践。

Tea gardens demonstrate the momentum driving China’s high-quality development. China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of tea, with its tea industry chain surpassing 1 trillion yuan (around US$146.5 billion) last year. China’s tea economy is not only a vivid reflection of the belief that “Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”, but also a vibrant example of developing new quality productive forces in line with local conditions.

科技赋新能，智慧茶园、智能工厂遍地开花，机械化、数字化“生产革命”助力降本增效提质；低碳促转型，中国已发布首个“全国茶叶碳足迹数字化平台”，生态低碳茶成为首个践行“双碳”战略的农产品；同心谋振兴，中国近百个县依托茶产业实现脱贫，有的已发展成“世界抹茶超级工厂”；场景多融合，科技观光、采制体验、文化研学、休闲康养、直播电商等新业态新模式连点成线，围炉煮茶、创意调饮、手工文创、茶旅民宿等成为“松弛感”“茶系慢生活”风尚。

Empowered by science and technology, China is witnessing a boom in smart tea gardens and factories, where amechanized and digitalized “production revolution” helps lower costs while improving efficiency and quality. Driven by the low-carbon transition, China has launched the first national digital platform for tea carbon footprints, and eco-friendly low-carbon tea has become the first agricultural product aligned with China’s carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. The tea industry has also become an important driver of China’s rural revitalization, helping to lift nearly 100 counties out of poverty, one of which is now known as “the world’s matcha super factory”. New business models are flourishing, ranging from smart tea tourism and processing workshops to cultural study tours, tea therapy, and livestream tea sales. More and more people are embracing a slow-paced lifestyle inspired by tea culture, brewing tea around a stove with friends, exploring creative tea drinks, purchasing tea-themed handicrafts, and unwinding in tea homestays.

茶道绵延，契合世界文明和合共生的大同境界。茶得水土滋养、寓和合之意，中华文明历来崇尚“和而不同”，追求“天下大同”。绿茶、白茶、黄茶、青茶、红茶、黑茶6大茶类和2000多种茶品各具特色，酸茶、烧茶、酥油茶等少数民族茶饮各美其美。

The philosophy of tea resonates with the ideal of harmonious coexistence among world civilizations.Nurtured by water and rooted in soil, tea itself is an example of harmony. Chinese civilization always values harmony without uniformity, and envisions a world of great unity. China boasts six categories of tea, namely, green tea, white tea, yellow tea, Oolong tea, black tea, and dark tea, encompassing more than 2,000 distinct varieties of tea products. Our ethnic minority groups also have their own unique traditional teas, such as sour tea, roasted tea, and butter tea.

千百年来，中国茶经陆海两路走向世界，融合发展出美式冰茶、欧洲下午茶、俄式茶炊、北非薄荷茶等多元茶文化，如今化身“国潮”，成为“中国游”“中国购”热门打卡和“成为中国人”入门体验。今年一季度，中国茶叶、保温杯、电热水壶等“养生好物”出口额均实现增长，远销200多个国家地区。

Over the past thousands of years, Chinese tea has gone global via both land and sea routes, giving rise to diverse tea cultures through exchange and integration, including American iced tea, European afternoon tea, Russiansamovar tea, and North African mint tea. Today, as an integral part of the “China Chic” trend, tea is seen as a must-try experience for those traveling in China, shopping in China, and learning to “become Chinese”. In the first quarter of this year, the exports of Chinese tea leaves, thermos cups, and electric kettles all increased, with products sold to over 200 countries and regions.

茶是赠予世界的礼物，联合国大会设立“国际茶日”，“中国传统制茶技艺及其相关习俗”被列入联合国教科文组织人类非物质文化遗产代表作名录，幽幽茶香是促进文明平等互鉴、对话包容的中国智慧和方案。

Tea is cherished as a gift to the world. The United Nations General Assembly designated May 21 as International Tea Day, and “traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in China” were inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, recognizing China’s wisdom and contribution to promoting equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness among civilizations.

各位朋友，

Dear friends,

茶是中美关系发展的见证者，也是增进两国人民友好的绿色使者。美国商船“中国皇后”号满载中国茶叶返航，拉开中美通商序幕；基辛格博士和尼克松总统先后访华，开启中美关系正常化进程，西湖龙井和武夷山大红袍作为国礼相赠；特朗普总统首次访华期间，两国元首夫妇曾在故宫宝蕴楼茶叙。

Tea stands as both a witness to the development of China-U.S. relations and a green envoy of goodwill between our two peoples. In the 18th century, American merchant shipThe Empress of China returned to the U.S. loaded with Chinese tea, marking the start of trade between our two countries. In the 1970s, Dr. Kissinger and President Nixon paid visits to China, ushering in the normalization of bilateral ties. Among the gifts China presented to them were West Lake Longjing tea and Da Hong Pao from the Wuyi Mountains in Fujian Province. During President Trump’s first visit to China in 2017, President Xi Jinping and Madam Peng Liyuan invited him and First Lady Melania to afternoon tea at the the Baoyun Building in the Palace Museum.

近年来，霸王茶姬、喜茶、茉莉奶白、蜜雪冰城等中国新茶饮品牌纷纷登陆美国、生意火爆，越来越多美国朋友成为“追茶人”，甚至选择在华攻读茶学博士、创立个人茶品牌。今年春节，马里兰州匹克球人文交流访华团来到江西上犹，中美青少年背上茶篓、深入茶园，为两国青年交流注入清新活力。

In recent years, Chinese new-style tea brands such as Chagee, HEYTEA, Mollytea, and MIXUE have entered the American market and quickly become wildly popular. A growing number of American friends are falling in love with tea. Some have even chosen to pursue a PhD in tea science in China and start their own tea brands. During the Spring Festival this year, the U.S. youth pickleball cultural exchange delegation from Maryland visited Shangyou County, Jiangxi Province, where Chinese and American teenagers carried tea baskets, delved into tea gardens, picked and processed tea, bringing fresh momentum to youth exchanges.

“和羹之美，在于合异。”茶与咖啡并非不可调和，反而碰撞出风靡世界的饮品组合；茶与酒也不是不可兼容，既可以酒逢知己千杯少，也可以品茶品味品人生。茶需慢品，方知其味；国之相交，更需耐心与定力。中美作为历史文化、社会制度、发展阶段不同的两个大国，改变不了彼此，但只要坚持两国元首战略引领，秉持相互尊重态度，守住和平共处底线，争取合作共赢前景，就可以逐步走出一条美美与共、共同繁荣的康庄大道。

As an ancient Chinese saying goes, “It is the blending of different ingredients that makes the soup delicious.” Tea and coffee are not incompatible; when brought together, they can blend into creative drinks that take the world by storm. Nor are tea and wine at odds: one can bothdrink wine heartily with their friends, and quietly savor life over a cup of tea. It takes time to truly appreciate the fragrance of tea. Likewise, states need patience and steady resolve when engaging with one another. It is unrealistic for China and the U.S., two major countries different in history, culture, social system, and development stage, to remodel each other. But as long as we follow the strategic guidance of our Presidents, show mutual respect, stick to the bottom line of peaceful coexistence, and strive for the vision of win-win cooperation, we can gradually find a path leading to respective success and shared prosperity.

预祝各位在清茗雅乐中度过一个美好的夜晚。谢谢大家！

Wishing all of you a wonderful evening in the company of tea and music. Thank you.