Thai prime minister surprises Chinese counterpart with Taiwanese love song in Beijing

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul surprised guests in Beijing by performing "Tian Mi Mi" (Sweet Honey), a classic love song by the late Taiwanese singer Teresa Teng, during a luncheon hosted by his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang.

The gesture came at the end of Charnvirakul's first official visit to China, which also included a trip to Shanghai and a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to independent.co.uk, photos from the luncheon showed the Thai prime minister holding a microphone at a long table, with Li Qiang and other officials applauding, and the flags of Thailand and China in the background.

Independent.co.uk noted that this is not the first time Charnvirakul has used what media have called "musical diplomacy." Earlier this month, he played the saxophone during a joint appearance with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who performed the famous song "My Way." A video of the performance was widely shared online.

Diverse musical activities by the Thai prime minister

In June, Charnvirakul joined local musicians in Hanoi to play a traditional Vietnamese instrument in front of Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, and also performed a duet of a Thai rock song with young singer Nini Royal, who gained international fame after appearing on America's Got Talent, according to independent.co.uk.

The same outlet reported that the Thai government announced financial support for Nini Royal following her success and discussed plans to appoint her as a tourism ambassador to promote Thailand globally.

Musical diplomacy on the Asian stage

Independent.co.uk also noted that other Asian leaders have used music at official events. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean Prime Minister Lee Jae-myung concluded their joint meeting in Japan with a drum performance of popular K-pop songs.

Source: independent.co.uk