Amman China Cultural Centre, 30 June 2024

Your Excellency Madame Khuloud Saqqaf, Minister of Investment,

Your Excellency, Mr. Musa Al-Maaytah, Chairman of the Independent Election Commission,

Your Excellecy Dr. Engineer Maher Nafsh, Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture,

Mr. Yang Cheng, Deputy Director-General of Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism,

Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good evening. Welcome to the opening of this year's "Tea for Harmony, Yaji Cultural Salon". Last year, the inaugural event was warmly received in Jordan and today, this cultural celebration is back in Amman at the beautiful China Cultural Centre.

The history of planting and drinking tea dates back almost five thousand years ago in China. For the Chinese, tea serves multiple roles. It is a beverage. It is a medicinal herb. It is a way of life. And it carries cultural richness. When Chinese people drink tea, we emphasize the concept of "品", or savouring,  which involves small sips, cultivating one's moral character and temperament. The Chinese tea culture values simplicity, elegance, harmony, and respect, including harmony between man and nature. Throughout history, numerous poems have been written to praise tea or have been inspired during tea sessions.

Tea is also a powerful weapon in China’s victory against poverty. Tea planting and related industries have lifted millions of farmers out of poverty.

The history of tea documents thousands of years of trade and cultural exchange. Whether you call it chá, shay, or tea, it all traces back to this magical leaf from the East. Along the ancient Silk Road, tea was a valuable commodity. The Tea Horse Road, which passed through Yunnan, was a crucial trading route in ancient China.

The spread of tea drove exchanges and fusion between civilizations. Both the Chinese and Arab people are known for our warm hospitality, and tea culture is our shared heritage. Chinese tradition emphasizes welcoming guests with tea. Arab hospitality is represented by serving sweet tea to visitors. Even our tea-ware share a common and unique element, often adorned with elegant calligraphy.

Tea has long served as an envoy for peace and friendship. It is sad to see conflict persisting in the Middle East, and the people of Gaza endure immense sufferings. China stands firmly with Jordan and other Arab nations, striving for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, an early revival of the "two-state solution", and full statehood for Palestinians. We must rectify historical injustices that have persisted for well over half a century, ultimately achieving peaceful coexistence between Palestine and Israel, as well as harmony between Arab and Jewish peoples.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Recently, President Xi Jinping reaffirmed China's commitment to promoting cultural exchanges and shared human values with Arab countries at the opening of the 10^th Ministerial Meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum. "Tea for Harmony" is designed as serve as a medium for greater cultural exchanges and people-to-people friendship, by condensing our hopes for world peace and prosperity into each cup of tea.

The artists performing this evening come from Yunnan Province, known as "South of Colorful Clouds." Yunnan boasts the largest population of ethnic minorities in China and features stunning natural landscape, distinctive ethnic cultures. Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Christianity coexist harmoniously there. As a Chinese saying goes, good mountains and good water produce good tea. Yunnan's Pu'er and Dianhong teas are renowned worldwide, becoming part of Yunnan's identity. During the event, you will not only experience the charm of Chinese tea culture, but also enjoy Yunnan's distinctive music, dance, colourful ethnic costumes, and exquisite intangible cultural heritage.

I wish to express my gratitude to the Amman China Cultural Centre, Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the Confucius Institute at the University of Philadelphia, the TAG Confucius Institute,University of Jordan,  and other staff for their dedicated efforts in organizing this event.

In concluding, I wish the event a complete success and hope you will enjoy an enchanting cultural evening.

Thank you.