Monday, February 9, 2026 | 6:00-7:30 PM ET
Lindner Family Commons, Elliott School of International Affairs, Washington, D.C.
Join USCET and Young China Watchers for an evening of comedy, culture, and conversation with comedian Jesse Appell celebrating the launch of his new book, This Was Funnier in China: An American Comedian’s Journey to Make China and the West Laugh With Each Other, Not at Each Other.
From performing in Beijing teahouses to earning over half a billion views online, Jesse’s journey as a formal disciple of legendary xiangsheng (相声) master Ding Guangquan (丁广泉) reveals how humor can foster deeper mutual understanding across cultures. Jesse’s book is full of stories about apprenticing under Ding. From comedy techniques to life lessons, Jesse shares what can be learned from moving to a new country with the goal of understanding what makes people laugh.
As part of the book tour, this event will feature Jesse’s new 45-minute English-language xiangsheng set, presented in a unique solo format that interacts live with pre-recorded dialogue to bring this classic art form to life for modern audiences. The performance will be followed by a moderated discussion with USCET Managing Director Ryan McElveen.
Copies of the book will be available for purchase on site. The event will be followed by a book signing and reception.
Speaker Biographies
Speaker
Jesse Appell is a bilingual comedian, author, social media creator and entrepreneur followed by over 3 million people in both China and the West. His appearances on Chinese TV shows, such as “Huan Le Xiju Ren (欢乐喜剧人)” and his comedy fundraisers during COVID-19, have led to over 500 million total views of his comedy videos around the world.
In 2012, Jesse won a Fulbright Fellowship to move to Beijing and research Chinese traditional xiangsheng comedy, apprenticing to Master Ding Guangquan, one of the top comedians in China and the only traditional comedy master to take foreign disciples. Over the following decade, he played a role in the rise of the modern comedy scene in China, a story chronicled in his new book, This Was Funnier in China.
Jesse is also the founder of Jesse’s Teahouse, an online tea culture video channel and e-commerce website, and is a leader in bringing Chinese tea culture to the West.
Moderator
Ryan McElveen (麦瑞安) serves as managing director of US-China Education Trust, where he oversees organization operations, programming, communications, and development. He also serves as a nonresident fellow at the Centre on Contemporary China and the World (CCCW) at the University of Hong Kong (HKU).
CHINA CONNECTIONS
Why should Americans be interested in China? USCET launches China Connections, a new monthly series hosting discussions with experts to explore their work, gain insights into current events, and learn what a career in the China field looks like today. These events highlight individuals with unique expertise on China to provide students, young professionals, and members of the public a deeper understanding of current events and increase American student interest in pursuing a focus on China. These events are mostly held in person at George Washington University with online engagement.