The Chinese Embassy in the U.S. co-hosted the “Night of Ballet” with the Washington Ballet

On July 20, 2026, the Chinese Embassy in the United States co-hosted the “Night of Ballet” event with the Washington Ballet. Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng and his wife Madam Wang Dan, Minister-Counselor Chen Chunmei, and Artistic Director of the Washington Ballet Edwaard Liang attended the event together with guests from U.S. cultural, artistic, business, and strategic sectors.

Underscoring President Xi Jinping’s important statement that “Diversity spurs interaction among civilizations, which in turn promotes mutual learning and their further development”, Ambassador Xie said in his remarks that China and the United States share a long history of cultural exchange. Through their dedicated efforts, generation after generation of artists have made irreplaceable contributions to fostering mutual understanding between the two peoples. While born in the West, ballet has become a universal language, creating a most elegant and enduring bridge between Chinese and American cultures. As early as 1985, the Washington Ballet visited China and sowed seeds of goodwill. 

Ambassador Xie pointed out that China has just entered a new stage of development under the 15th Five-Year Plan. The growing demand for culture and the arts among China’s ever-expanding middle-income group will unlock enormous potential for cultural exchange and market cooperation between China and the United States. Not long ago, the two Presidents reached important consensus during their summit in Beijing, agreeing on a new vision of building a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability. Expressing his confidence in the future of people-to-people and cultural exchange between China and the United States, Ambassador Xie invited American friends from all walks of life to visit China, to experience firsthand the rich diversity of its culture and feel the pulse of an ever-evolving China.

During the event, the guests enjoyed excerpts from “The Sleeping Beauty” performed by the Washington Ballet, and a video showcasing the National Ballet of China performing “The Chinese New Year” in the U.S. as well as excerpts from “The Butterfly Lovers” and “Giselle”, which the Shanghai Ballet Company will soon present on its U.S. tour. The event concluded on an optimistic note, with participants expressing confidence in the bright future of China-U.S. cultural exchange and cooperation.