Xi-Trump summit: Nods to historic ‘toast of peace’, sea lion and big Chinese influence, what’s on the menu for the state dinner? | Today’s news
US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are at the White House for a highly anticipated state visit. Xi is visiting China’s First Lady Peng Liyuan. The White House has now announced the menu for the Xi-Trump state dinner. It will also be attended by official delegations, business representatives and government officials.
State dinner for Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan
Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will host Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan in the East Room of the White House tonight.
Melania Trump led the preparations for the dinner.
The menu is said to highlight American ingredients with a touch of Chinese influence, blending the culinary traditions of both worlds.
Nod to “Toast to Peace”
The meal is said to begin with a tribute to the historic “Toast to Peace” shared by President Nixon and Premier Zhou Enlai in Beijing in 1972. After the toast, guests will be served Schramsberg Blanc De Noir.
American-Chinese menu
The first course of the state dinner will include sweet yellow pumpkin velouté, topped with wild mushroom fricassée, crispy smoked pancetta and spring oil, the White House said.
“The first course features a refined and silky velouté made from sweet yellow squash. This course is delicately tossed to highlight its delicate seasonal flavors of earthy wild mushrooms sauteed with fresh herbs. These ingredients combine to create a rich fricassee, topped with crispy pancetta for a savory and smoky contrast. A final drizzle adds a bright White House note to all the delicate and smoky oil.” described the dish.
For the second course, guests are served sea bass with a toasted sesame crust along with steamed baby bok choy, roasted eggplant and verte sauce.
The final course of the evening, a fruity dessert of vanilla crémeux with a cherry confit center over a nutty frangipane, will be served alongside an ice cream made with White House honey.
Entertainment
The dinner will also feature several performances, headlined by Christopher Macchio, the classically trained tenor who performed at the 2025 presidential inauguration.
Military musicians from the United States Marine Corps and the United States Army will also perform, including “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.
Decor, guests and more
It will be a black-tie event. The event’s decor “draws on the long-standing cultural significance of the color red throughout Chinese history,” according to the White House.
The guest list includes Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, among others.
Trump said his planned White House ballroom is not ready for a state dinner hosted by Xi Jinping on Thursday night.
