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US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen consumed wild mushrooms known to have psychedelic effects during her recent official visit to China, according to a report by CNN. What Yellen ate is locally called Jian shou qing mushrooms and is a delicacy in Yunnan.
“I have a friend who mistakenly ate them and hallucinated for three days,” Dr. Peter Mortimer, a professor at Kunming Institute of Botany, told CNN.
“You thought you were walking straight but you just fell sideways,” the Xinhua state news agency quoted a local as saying about the mushroom’s effects.
Yellen had visited an outlet of the Yi Zuo Yi Wang restaurant chain. News of her dining at the restaurant was widely discussed and shared on Chinese social media platforms. It led to great business for the restaurant as demands for reservations increased after her visit.
“It was an extremely magical day,” said the restaurant of the secretary’s visit.
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Yellen went on a four-day official China visit from July 6-9. Her trip happened at a time when tensions between the US and China are high due to several geopolitical reasons and other issues concerning both countries’ interests. During her visit, she had met Chinese Premier Li Qiang, her counterpart and Vice Premier He Lifeng; Finance Minister Liu Kun, and senior banker of the People’s Bank of China, Pan Gongsheng.
“The US and China have significant disagreements. Those disagreements need to be communicated clearly and directly… We believe that the world is big enough for both of our countries to thrive,” said Yellen.