Themed “Tea and the World Share Development”, the Expo was held in the Hangzhou International Expo Centre and was co-hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Zhejiang provincial government. The Expo had 3,423 booths and attracted more than 1,500 exhibitors and over 3,600 professional buyers from all over the world. It was an impressive event.

Ambassadors and other diplomats to China of 20 countries, including Argentina, Ireland, Iran, Poland, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Tanzania, and Uruguay, as well as officials from the United Nations (UN) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, attended the Expo.

Dr. Kohona, accompanied by Vice Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Ma Youxiang toured the Sri Lanka pavilions at the Expo. Dr. Kohona introduced the Vice Minister to the only two Ceylon Tea Exhibitors present at the Expo and later discussed the need to increase this number at exhibitions of this native.

At the “Tea and Ambassadors” Banquet that followed Dr. Kohona appreciated varieties of Chinese teas and expressed his inclination for Black Tea. He further stated that Sri Lanka is one of largest producers of Black Tea and expressed the hope that Ceylon Tea will be consumed more and more by Chinese people.

Ambassador Dr. Palitha Kohona, accompanied by Deputy Mayor, Hangzhou Municipal Government Wang Hong visited the Longwu Tea Town in a suburb of Xihu district of Hangzhou on 22 May 2021. Dr. Kohona and Mr. Wang explored possible cooperation between Sri Lanka and China in education and the tea trade.

Further, Dr. Kohona, accompanied by Vice Mayor Xu Gang of Tongxiang municipal government, visited Wuzhen, a historic scenic town, part of Tongxiang. He watched the brewing of Hangzhou White Chrysanthemum tea.