During an official visit to the Chinese capital, Thailand’s Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, became the center of attention by performing a song at a state banquet hosted by his counterpart, Li Keqiang.

Footage released by his office shows the moment Anutin, seated beside Li at the official table, holds a microphone and performs a timeless melody by Taiwanese icon Teresa Teng. Accompanied by the sounds of the piano, he received a warm ovation from the guests, as the Chinese premier and the rest of the audience watched with visible admiration.

This is not the first time Anutin has turned music into a part of his diplomatic meetings. Just a few weeks earlier, at an official bilateral meeting, he played the saxophone for Frank Sinatra’s iconic song “My Way,” while Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, sang it.

Also, in June, during a visit to Hanoi, the Thai leader sat down to play a traditional Vietnamese instrument alongside local artists, under the gaze of Vietnam’s head of government.

Anutin, who assumed the leadership of the government in September and secured the mandate through parliamentary elections in February, comes from a prominent family in the construction industry. Nevertheless, he has worked to build the profile of a leader close to the people, intertwining his political career with his love for musical art.

Beyond singing, Anutin is also an amateur pilot and masters several musical instruments, such as the piano, saxophone, and traditional Thai flute. Recently, he performed with a young Thai whose performance on “America’s Got Talent” had taken social media by storm.

The post Music as a diplomatic tool: Thai prime minister stuns with his performance in Beijing appeared first on Albeu.com.

De la Esperanza, who enjoys the support of U.S. President Donald Trump and is set to begin his term on August 7, has said that reestablishing ties with Israel will be among the first steps of his administration.

His office stated that Colombia will open an embassy in Jerusalem, a city it considers the capital of Israel. According to the statement, the goal is to strengthen the historic ties between the two states.

This new direction overturns the decisions of the government of Gustavo Petro, the outgoing president. Petro severed diplomatic relations with Israel in 2024, in protest against the war in the Gaza Strip. His administration also banned coal exports to Israel and the purchase of Israeli weapons.

The outgoing president reacted sharply to his successor’s initiative, accusing de la Esperanza of becoming an “accomplice in genocide” through his rapprochement with Israel.

In Washington, the foreign minister proposed by the president-elect, Omar Boula, met with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. Both sides reached an agreement on a plan that foresees the full restoration of bilateral relations and the lifting of the visa regime.

According to the president-elect’s office, Colombia will also withdraw its support for South Africa’s lawsuit against Israel at the International Court of Justice. In that case, Israel is accused of genocide in the Gaza Strip.

Most countries still have their embassies in Tel Aviv, as the status of Jerusalem remains one of the most contested issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The United States moved its embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, following President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize the city as Israel’s capital.

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