{
  "id": 17409660,
  "title": "Soft power on display as China’s first lady Peng Liyuan hosts German counterpart",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/soft-power-on-display-as-chinas-first-lady-peng-liyuan-hosts-german-17409660",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-31T13:00:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Reuters Business via SCMP",
    "slug": "reuters-business-via-scmp",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372840/soft-power-display-chinas-first-lady-peng-liyuan-hosts-german-counterpart"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan hosted her German counterpart, Elke Budenbender, in Beijing on Friday. The tea reception aimed to showcase Beijing's soft power and strengthen bilateral ties. Peng highlighted the rich cooperation between China and Germany in education and culture, expressing hope for increased visits between the two countries and deeper mutual understanding. She praised Budenbender's commitment to women's and children's rights. Budenbender, in return, pledged to deepen cooperation on women's and children's issues and strengthen people-to-people ties. The meeting came as Chinese President Xi Jinping met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Great Hall of the People. Xi urged Germany to adopt a \"rational, pragmatic, and friendly\" policy toward China. In recent years, Xi has conducted fewer overseas state visits, opting for more frequent receptions of foreign leaders in Beijing, reflecting a shift towards a \"home-court\" diplomacy model. Peng, who has been less visible in the media, has used her rare appearances to promote health, welfare, and cultural exchanges. In January, she hosted South Korea's First Lady Kim Hea-kyung, and in May, she accompanied Vietnamese First Lady Ngo Phuong Ly to Beijing's National Centre for the Performing Arts. In May, Peng wore a navy blue Chinese-style gown, while Budenbender opted for a red midi dress, both colors symbolizing good fortune in Chinese culture. The German delegation's final leg of their five-day state visit to China included visits to historic sites and a Unesco World Heritage site.",
  "summary": "Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan hosted her German counterpart, Elke Budenbender, 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…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}