Trump used his toast to pitch the South Lawn ballroom under construction
In toasts before the assembled guests, Trump and Xi struck a cordial public tone while the day’s substantive talks — covering Taiwan, trade and artificial intelligence — remained behind closed doors. “President Xi and I both understand we represent different systems, but the ties between our people endure, and we’ve never gotten along better,” Trump said, according to the Associated Press. “Together, we can continue to build a relationship that promotes prosperity and security for future generations.”
Xi, in his own toast, framed the relationship in terms of national ambition. “President Trump has pledged to make America great again,” he said, “and China is committed to achieving great national rejuvenation.” “These two goals are both ambitious and can surely be mutually reinforcing,” Xi added.
The fashion particulars drew on display. Trump wore a tuxedo, while first lady Melania Trump wore a white Saint Laurent cotton poplin blouse, a black silk cummerbund and black brocade pants from Dolce & Gabbana — both pieces carrying a peony motif. Xi chose a black suit, and his wife, Peng Liyuan, wore a red gown. The East Room featured low lighting and place settings with red and gold decor.
Technology industry chief executives dominated the guest list. Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, signed autographs as he arrived at the White House. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang opted for a tuxedo over his trademark black leather jacket. LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault walked through black security fencing to enter the event. Also in attendance were Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI President and co-founder Greg Brockman, and Dell Technologies chairman and CEO Michael Dell.
Trump used his toast to draw attention to the South Lawn ballroom he is building, departing briefly from his prepared remarks. “If I could go off script just for a second, I just want to say I had to do it,” Trump said, as the assembled guests laughed. “I’d like to invite everyone in the room to visit through that beautiful curtain in the back, which you’ve heard so much about.”
Trump said the project was a year from completion, and said he thought attendees “will see something that I think you will really love.” Trump said attendees could tour the worksite after dinner and be “the first people to step foot” on it. “We’ll do that. Maybe after we’ve finished with the entertainment tonight,” Trump said, adding, “Anybody wants to walk into a construction site that’s nice and sparkling, it’s our honor to have you do so.” Trump has called the project the “Great Hall of the United States” and suggested it could rival the Great Hall of the People, where he was hosted by Xi on his own state visit to Beijing in May.
Trump also presented Xi with an eagle statue he said was designed “in personal collaboration with Melania and myself.” Xi did not present Trump a public gift in return during the dinner.
The first lady helped craft the evening’s menu, which was served on the red china from Ronald Reagan’s presidency. A first course of yellow squash velouté was paired with wild mushrooms, fresh herbs, crispy pancetta and drizzled scallion oil. The main course was sesame-crusted sea bass with braised baby bok choy, roasted garden eggplant and a sauce verte. Dessert was vanilla crémeux with sour cherry confit and walnut frangipane, alongside ice cream made with honey from the White House.
Earlier Thursday afternoon, before the dinner, Trump showed Xi the White House updates, including a tour of Marine One and a new helipad Trump said he had built for the presidential helicopter.
The dinner came a day after Trump took the unusual step of personally greeting Xi and his wife on Wednesday as they arrived at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington. Presidents typically wait for their state-visit guests to arrive at the White House itself before offering a formal welcome.
The state visit unfolded against the backdrop of an ongoing First Amendment fight over press access at the White House, according to the AP.
The May trip to Beijing — during which Xi hosted Trump beneath grand chandeliers in the Great Hall of the People alongside tech luminaries including former Apple CEO Tim Cook and Musk — was a stark departure from 2015, when then-President Barack Obama was preparing to host Xi for a state visit and Trump, in the midst of his first presidential run, criticized the fuss. “Just take them to McDonald’s and go back to the negotiating table,” Trump said at a South Carolina rally. He later conceded on Fox News Channel that Xi might at least be worthy of receiving “probably a double-size Big Mac.”