From a toast of American sparkling wine linked to a historic US-China moment to sesame-crusted sea bass and White House honey ice cream, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have laid out a distinctly American menu with subtle Chinese touches for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state dinner.
Trump and Melania will host Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the White House’s East Room on Thursday evening. The dinner will bring together members of the official delegations, government officials and prominent business leaders as Washington and Beijing seek to manage tensions over trade, technology and artificial intelligence.
A SIP OF HISTORY AT TRUMP-XI STATE DINNER
The evening will begin with Schramsberg “Blanc De Noir”, an American sparkling wine chosen as a nod to the historic “Toast to Peace” shared by US President Richard Nixon and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai in Beijing in 1972.
The same wine, according to the White House, has continued to feature at White House functions decades after that historic gathering.
The first course will be yellow squash veloute, served with wild mushroom fricassee, crispy pancetta and scallion oil.
The main course will feature sesame-crusted sea bass, accompanied by braised baby bok choy, roasted garden eggplant and sauce verte. The sesame coating adds a subtle nod to Asian flavours while the vegetables and herb-based sauce give the dish a distinctly Western presentation.
Dessert will be vanilla cremeux and White House honey ice cream, served with walnut frangipane and sour cherry confit. The dessert combines a smooth vanilla base and tart cherry filling with ice cream made using honey harvested at the White House.
RED TAKES CENTRE STAGE
The decor will also draw on Chinese cultural traditions while retaining the formal character of a White House state dinner. Red will dominate the room, reflecting the colour’s longstanding cultural significance in China. Tables will feature rich red linens, dahlias and ranunculus, while urns will be filled with red flowers.
The tables will also feature vermeil from the White House collection and the Reagan State Service, blending American presidential tradition with Chinese-inspired visual elements.
The formal dinner will also feature several musical performances. Christopher Macchio, a classically trained tenor who performed at the 2025 Presidential Inauguration, will headline the entertainment.
Military musicians from the US Marine Corps and US Army will also perform. The line-up includes “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, “The Commandant’s Own” United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, the United States Army Chorus and the United States Army Strings.
WHO WILL ATTEND TRUMP-XI STATE DINNER?
While the White House has not publicly released the full guest list, several major names from the technology and business world are reportedly expected to attend.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and former Apple CEO Tim Cook are among those reported to be on the guest list. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is also expected to attend.
Their presence reflects one of the central themes surrounding the Trump-Xi meeting: the growing US-China contest over advanced technology, artificial intelligence, semiconductors and computing infrastructure.
The Trump administration has allowed Nvidia to ship its H200 AI chips to approved customers in China, making Huang’s presence particularly notable.
Chinese officials have not disclosed their full guest list either, although Chinese business leaders travelling as part of Xi’s delegation are expected to attend.
XI GETS RARE WHITE HOUSE WELCOME
Xi arrived in the US on Wednesday for his summit with Trump, skipping the United Nations General Assembly for the visit. Trump personally welcomed the Chinese leader at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at about 6 pm ET, in a rare tarmac reception for a visiting president.
Xi was greeted with an honour guard, a long red carpet, military units from all branches of the US armed forces, a flag display and the national anthems of both countries. Two B-1 bombers also conducted a flyover.
Following Xi’s arrival, Washington announced an extension of the US-China trade truce through January 10, reducing the immediate risk of another tariff confrontation between the world’s two largest economies.
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