China’s Xi and Peng Liyuan Host Grand SCO Summit Banquet, Showcasing Soft‑Power Diplomacy

The banquet, attended by delegations from the SCO’s fifteen member and observer states, was framed by a carefully choreographed program that blended traditional Chinese cuisine with contemporary theatrical performances. While President Xi delivered a concise welcome address emphasizing multilateral cooperation, peace and development, Peng Liyuan contributed a brief performance of a classic folk song, underscoring the cultural dimension of the gathering. The setting—Tianjin, a historic port city now a hub of high‑tech industry—mirrored Beijing’s broader effort to project an image of a modern, yet culturally rooted, China.

This ceremony is part of a pattern that has seen the president and his wife host a series of high‑profile welcome banquets over the past six years. In February 2025, they greeted athletes, officials and international guests at a banquet in Harbin during the opening of the ninth Asian Winter Games. In October 2023, the pair stood on the podium of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing for the third Belt and Road International Cooperation Summit Forum. Earlier that year, on 23 September 2023, they welcomed dignitaries at the Xizi Hotel in Hangzhou for the opening of the 19th Asian Games. The tradition stretches back to at least November 2019, when Xi and Peng held a reception at Shanghai’s historic Peace Hotel for participants in the second China International Import Expo.

Each of these events serves multiple diplomatic purposes. Firstly, they provide a platform for informal conversation, allowing leaders to discuss sensitive issues away from the formalities of summit rooms. The intimate setting of a banquet, coupled with cultural performances, creates a convivial atmosphere that can soften negotiations and foster personal rapport. Secondly, the banquets act as a public relations vehicle, signalling to both domestic audiences and the international community that China is a gracious host and a committed partner in multilateral initiatives. The menu choices, the décor and the televised coverage are all calibrated to project confidence, hospitality and cultural richness.

The SCO summit itself is a barometer of China’s strategic outreach in Eurasia. With Russia, India, Pakistan and several Central Asian states among the participants, the organization has become an increasingly important forum for security, economic and political coordination. By anchoring the summit’s opening in Tianjin—a city that epitomises the China‑Japan‑Korea economic triangle—Beijing underscored its intent to position the SCO as a bridge between the continent’s traditional powers and its emerging markets.

While official state media praised the banquet as “a vivid display of Chinese hospitality and cultural vitality,” social media reaction has been comparatively muted in the English‑speaking sphere, reflecting the limited immediacy of live coverage outside China’s domestic platforms. Nonetheless, analysts note that the repeated use of welcome banquets by Xi and Peng signals a deliberate diplomatic style: one that leverages ceremony and culture to reinforce political messages.

Beyond the diplomatic aisle, the events generate tangible economic benefits. Large‑scale banquets require the coordination of local hotels, catering firms, security services and logistics providers, injecting short‑term revenue into host cities. The spotlight on Tianjin is expected to boost tourism and business travel in the months following the summit, as international delegations often extend their stays to explore regional opportunities.

In sum, the Tianjin banquet on 31 August was more than a formal meal; it was a microcosm of China’s broader foreign‑policy playbook. Through a blend of high‑level political engagement, cultural exhibition and economic stimulation, President Xi and Peng Liyuan continue to turn state hospitality into a strategic instrument—one that reaffirms China’s growing role on the world stage while nurturing the soft‑power assets that underpin its diplomatic ambitions.