New | Mao suit gets a makeover as China's President Xi Jinping meets Dutch royals
Dowdy revolutionary garb gets a modern twist as president and first lady attend state dinner in Amsterdam
Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of the Chinese Republic, introduced a modern Chinese tunic suit in the 1920s.
Traditionally known as the Zhongshan suit and later the Mao suit, it became a form of national dress that Chinese state leaders and officials of all ranks would wear at important events.
But Chinese leaders started to wear western-style business suits in public in 1980s as the country opened up, reserving the Mao suit for special political events or occasions with political implications.
President Xi Jinping appeared on Saturday at a state banquet at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam wearing a simplified and redesigned Mao suit as he and his wife Peng Liyuan attended dinner with the Dutch royals ahead of the Nucear Security Summit at The Hague.
According to the dress code of European royalty, guests at state banquets must wear formal attire.
“The tuxedo is a western dress and it might not suit a Chinese state leader. But the traditional Mao suit seems to carry too many political implications and looks dull,” China News Agency said in a commentary.