When headlines feel heavy and the world sees more fragmentation than ever, it’s tempting to believe that a multilateral system is falling apart. Rising geopolitical tensions, eroding trust between nations, and international cooperation is tested in ways we haven’t seen in decades. Depending on whom you ask, globalization is either the most progressive force in human history, or a complicated web that spreads risks as easily as benefits.
But whenever reality feels confusing, I’ve learned something helpful: look back, way back. History offers insights into the present and future, especially when they seem unclear. And when we look far enough, one truth stands out: our world has always been shaped by exchanges and connections, even before the word globalization existed.
Long before global summits and multinational agreements, ideas and objects were already crossing mountains, deserts and oceans. They carried the wisdom of different cultures, were traded, reinvented, and adapted by others. These steady, quiet flows of goods, knowledge and craftsmanship have shaped the world we live in today.
As I researched and spoke with historians and cultural experts for my work (yes, real conversations, not just late-night Googling), I was reminded how deeply these ancient exchanges shaped our modern lives. And among all the examples, one humble leaf tells the fullest story: tea.
Its journey began as a medicinal leaf in ancient China, yet through centuries of exchange tea grew into a global commodity and a culture of its own. In its early travels along routes such as the Silk Road, tea was traded for, not just pocket change, but warhorses, spices, jewels and other precious goods that many kingdoms depended on.
The tea-for-horses trade between China and neighboring nomadic societies lasted for a thousand years until the 18th century. Today, many of those communities have long settled down, but their love for tea remains. Across Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia and beyond, tea is blended into daily diet, social rituals, and customs - each with its unique flavor.
Tea’s journey in Europe tells an even broader story of global exchange. When Dutch traders brought Chinese tea to the continent in the 17th century, tea became a symbol of sophistication among the elite. By the mid-19th century, tea had become an obsession in Britain that getting the freshest leaves from China sparked literal high-speed competitions – known as The Tea Race.
Then came the Industrial Revolution, and suddenly, the tea world changed. Colonial plantations reshaped supply chains. Steam-powered ships shortened global distances. Mechanized production made tea not just a luxury, but an everyday companion on kitchen tables around the world.
Through exchanges across generations and continents, a humble leafy plant travelled across lands and oceans, becoming a shared ritual that continues to connect communities around the world.
The story of tea is not the only one that reminds us how cultures grow richer when they meet. This is what inspired me to create the podcast Made in Ancient China. Despite its name, the podcast is not really about one single country. Rather, it explores how ideas move, transform and bring us together.
The series takes a look at the great movements - how inventions like tea, rice, silk and paper journeyed across continents, absorbing new meanings and transforming entire civilizations. These inventions reshaped societies far from where they originated, absorbing local wisdom and traditions along the way, eventually becoming shared treasures of humankind.
That is why, when people today question globalization and international cooperation, it is worth remembering that connection is not a trend to be defended or abandoned. It is who we are.
If you find these stories as fascinating as I do, you can tune in to our special podcast series Made in Ancient China. Together, we’ll explore how humanity has always been intertwined, long before we ever had a word for it.
About the author: Li Yi is a CGTN reporter and producer of the history podcast Made in Ancient China
